Sarasota Polo Magazine - 2022

season of 2022 the magazine

M A K E YO U R N E X T G E TAWAY

DEC

2022 Schedule DECEMBER 19

2021 Reindeer Cup

Christmas at the Green Beach Ugly Sweater Contest Saddle Up With Santa

JANUARY 2

JAN

6-Goal New Year’s Cup

JANUARY 30

FEB MAR

2021 Holiday Cup

EVERY SUNDAY AT 1 PM

December 19th through April 24th

JANUARY 9

JANUARY 16

JANUARY 23

Pajama Slumber Party Tailgate Theme

Super Hero Sunday

Woofminster Dog Show presented by Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Lakewood Ranch

12-Goal USPA Regional Classic-Southeastern

12-Goal USPA Regional Classic-Southeastern

12-Goal USPA Regional Classic-Southeastern Final FEBRUARY 6

FEBRUARY 13

FEBRUARY 20

12-Goal USPA Regional Classic-Southeastern

FEBRUARY 27

8-Goal USPA 8-Goal USPA 8-Goal USPA 8-Goal USPA Gerry Gerry Aschinger Memorial Gerry Aschinger Memorial Gerry Aschinger Memorial Aschinger Memorial Final Kid’s Day presented by Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation

Wild Wild West Tailgate Theme

MARCH 6

MARCH 13

MARCH 20

70’s Disco Party Tailgate Theme

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

Spring Break at the Green Beach Limbo Contest

12-Goal USPA National Inter-Circuit Championship

APRIL 3

APR

DECEMBER 26

Sarasota Women’s Challenge Think Pink Tailgate Theme Presented by Sirius Day Spa, Salon and Med Spa

12-Goal USPA National Inter-Circuit Championship

12-Goal USPA National Inter-Circuit Championship

APRIL 10

APRIL 17

Hawaiian Luau Tailgate Theme

Easter Eggstravaganza Easter Bunny Meet & Greet Helicopter Easter Egg Drop at Halftime

Hillcroft Invitational

Hillcroft Invitational

MARCH 27

12-Goal USPA National Inter-Circuit Championship Final

APRIL 24

Hillcroft Invitational Final

EVERY THURSDAY AT 5:30 PM

March 17th through April 21st TO PURCHASE TICKETS, VISIT SAR ASOTAPOLO.COM

READERS’ CHOICE FIRST PLACE

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contents People of Polo

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We spotlight a handful of Sarasota Polo Club members and partners, and learn how they fell in love with the fastest and most technical equestrian sport played today.

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A Passion for Polo Photography: Meet the Official Photographer of the Sarasota Polo Club, Julio Aguilar, who turned a simple photoshoot at the Sarasota Polo Club into a new pursuit.

A Gift and a Curse: There is more than meets the eye when it comes to the manufacturing of a great polo mallet.

Dogs of Polo: “Man’s best friend” brings a certain sense of happiness and playfulness to the Sarasota Polo Club.

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42

56

Honoring Prince Philip

Confessions of a Groom

54

71

When Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away in 2021, he left an indelible mark on the equestrian community - one that is felt locally as well.

TerraNova Equestrian Center: We take you inside this state-of-the-art equestrian competition facility located 20 minutes from downtown Lakewood Ranch.

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Told from the perspective of a polo pony living at the Sarasota Polo Club, this feature focuses on what it’s like to compete on game day.

Salute Our Players: A tip of the cap to the players who will entertain us during the 2022 Season of Sarasota Polo

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We’ve all seen polo depicted on TV. What the movies don’t show is the polo groom, scrambling to have horses ready for the game.

FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS Season Schedule........................2 Credits..................................... 10 Welcome Letter.......................12 Sponsor Salute......................... 16 Learn the Polo Basics.............. 18 Polopedia.................................22 Tools of the Trade...................24 What is That?..........................36 Sunset Polo Happy Hour.......52 5 Tips on Buying a Horse.......64 Arena League..........................66 The Ins & Outs of Groom Life...72

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The Queens of Polo................ 76 Meet the Staff..........................90 Sponsor Spotlight:CryoXL....92 Sidelines...................................95 Kids of Polo.............................98 Action Shots..........................100 2021 Winner’s Circle............112 2021 Best Playing Ponies......120 Are You A Polo Junkie?........122 Grounds Maps......................124 Championship Field Map....126 The Seventh Chukker..........128

2002

2003

2004

2005

GRAPEVINE IS FOUNDED

2007

2006

20 NEW OFFICE IS BUILT IN LAKEWOOD RANCH

2008

2009

NAMED AMONG “TOP 500 COMPANIES ON THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA” - 3RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

2010

2011

WINS SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (SARASOTA CHAMBER)

Grapevine Goes Platinum 2012

2013

2015

WINS SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

REACHED $1.2 MILLION IN SERVICES DONATED TO LOCAL NONPROFITS

2017

2014

(MANATEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE)

2018

2019

2020

2016

2021

ALLISON IMRE WINS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

ALLISON IMRE BEGINS ROLE AS OWNER/PRESIDENT

2022 ADVERTISING | MARKETING | PUBLIC RELATIONS | DIGITAL | SOCIAL MEDIA

GRAPEVINE GOES PLATINUM

We’re celebrating 20 years of bringing record-shattering success to our clients... and the party’s just getting started.

Learn more about our 2+ decades of topping the charts at Grapeinc.com.

credits Sarasota Polo Magazine is the official annual publication of the Sarasota Polo Club.

Sarasota Polo Club 8201 Polo Club Lane Sarasota, FL 34240 941.907.0000 SarasotaPolo.com Director of Operations

Paige Lautzenheiser Director of Polo

Mason Wroe

Director of Sales & Marketing

Ron Trytek

Director of Maintenance

Bryan Zdancewicz

Director of Turf & Irrigation

Zac Fuesser

Sarasota Polo Magazine Co-Editors-in-Chief

Paige Lautzenheiser Ron Trytek

Project Management Partner A.E. Engine, Inc. 23110 State Road 54 Suite 293 Lutz, FL 33549 727.608.8102 Publisher

Craig Baroncelli Art Director

Joe Rabuck

Traffic Coordinator & Graphic Designer

Nicole Cooper

Contributing Writers Dan Guttenplan Paige Lautzenheiser Helene Buckley Daniel Paulling Kimbrell Hines Abby Weingarten Photographers Julio Aguilar Eric Nalpas Curt Leimbach Giana Terranova Photography Al Green Photography

Sarasota Polo Magazine specifies that post-press changes may occur to any information presented in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

ON THE COVER The Season of 2022 Sarasota Polo Magazine front cover features Sarasota Polo Club players Toto Collardin of Whiskey Pond (foreground) and Herndon Radcliff of Hillcroft Farm (background) during the finals of the 2021 Wayne Brown Memorial.

The photo was taken by Sarasota Polo Club official photographer Julio Aguilar.

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10

LBK | SOLD $13.2 MILLION

L A K E | C LU B S O L D

CASEY KEY | SOLD

GREENBROOK | SOLD I N 4 DAYS

Like Sarasota Polo Club, The Hedge Team Are Proven Winners When it Comes to Sarasota/Manatee Real Estate The Hedge Team have been selling luxury local real estate and providing their customers excellent service since 1992.

THE HEDGE TEAM 941.587.6660 | Tom.HedgeJr@PremierSIR.com Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Welcome Sarasota Polo Enthusiasts!

W

elcome to the 31st Season of the Sarasota Polo Club! Thank you for choosing our facility to enjoy a bright, sunny Florida afternoon - whether you are one of our many local families or someone who is lucky enough to spend a vacation on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable season, and ask that you please respect the common concerns of COVID-19 while enjoying your leisure time with us here at the Sarasota Polo Club.

Established in 1991 as the first development in Lakewood Ranch, the Sarasota Polo Club has a remarkable legacy filled with memories of SMR cowboy polo transitioning to the “sport of kings” as we know it today. Misdee and I are honored to continue this legacy for another season, and we promise that it will be even greater than last year.

We are devoted to developing a growing base of passionate Sarasota polo players and fans by providing exciting experiences and exhilarating matches!

Don’t forget that, beginning on Thursday, March 17th, we will resume Sunset Polo Happy Hour. Please check our social media platforms and weekly game day programs for timely announcements. I also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook (@SarasotaPoloClubatLakewoodRanch) and Instagram (@SarasotaPolo) for live updates!

Finally, we are more than just polo! Our Club’s outdoor facilities and venues are home to a variety of community and social events including concerts, festivals, sporting events, corporate meetings, charity fundraisers and elegant weddings.

We thank you for your continued support. Misdee and I are thrilled to be sharing another fun-filled season with our fans, friends, neighbors and guests from around the globe.

Have a wonderful time. We hope that you will come back and see us!

James M. Miller

Owner Sarasota Polo Club

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A Passion for ‘Making Pictures’ in Polo Julio Aguilar Grateful For His Experiences at the Sarasota Polo Club

J

By Dan Guttenplan ulio Aguilar has been a photographer for the Sarasota Polo Club since 2015, when he finished a photo project for Nikon at Lakewood Ranch and became intrigued by the prospect of capturing a new sport with his camera lens.

Aguilar has grown a deep admiration and respect for the sport of polo and its athletes through photographing action-packed Sunday Polo matches. He even manages to capture the private moments between polo players and their horses, either at the trailer before the matches or in the stables of the Sarasota Polo Club.

Aguilar grew up in Sarasota after his family moved from Long Island, New York when he was only two years old. He fell in love with photography as a student at Sarasota High School and began shooting events like weddings, bar mitzvahs and concerts professionally while studying psychology at the University of Central Florida.

Before his senior year of college, Aguilar transferred to the University of South Florida, where he earned his undergraduate degree.

Aguilar has been shooting sports since 2006, when he sold his first professional action photo to a wakeboarding magazine for $50. He has since become a freelance photographer for Getty Images. In that role, he covers professional sports teams mostly in the state of Florida -- like the Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Orlando Magic, Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Along with being a freelance photographer, Aguilar has served as a first assistant and producer to nationally acclaimed photographer Dave Black for the last eight years.

Aguilar also teaches Summit Workshops to aspiring local photographers.

Aguilar recently shared his passion for polo photography with the Sarasota Polo Club Magazine.

Have you always had a connection with horses?

My family has horses in the Dominican Republic. I’ve always been attracted to horses and wanted to be around them.”

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue photography as a profession?

“I became interested in photography at Sarasota High [School]; they have a fantastic photography program. My mom’s best friend passed away when I was in high school, and she left me a Cannon EOS camera and a couple of lenses in her will. I used that in my sophomore and junior years. That always kept me wanting to take and make pictures. The fact is you actually ‘make’ pictures once you understand lighting.

Through college, I supported myself with various photography jobs. That later grew into photographing sports.”

How did you become a professional sports photographer?

“Orlando is the wakeboard capital of the world. My first professional photo was in 2006 shooting a professional wakeboarder. I happened to be on the towing boat that day.

It was a big trick back then where the athlete was unattached to the board. The board just had grip tape, and the athlete had on normal shoes. The trick involved flipping the board in the air. I happened to nail the shot with the board flat. The editor wanted to see what I had done once it was developed. It was back in the early 2000s when you’d have to go to Eckerd’s or Walgreens and they put negatives on a CD. I sent a digital copy [to the editor] the next day, and they licensed the photo for the magazine.” sar asota polo

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How did the opportunity to become the Sarasota Polo Club photographer come about?

“I work for well-known sports photographer Dave Black. He worked with Bloodline Magazine for multiple years, and he’s also a Nikon ambassador. We had an opportunity to test out some new camera lenses in 2014 or 2015. Dave asked me to find some outdoor sports to photograph in Florida during the winter. I came up with polo [at the Sarasota Polo Club]. That was my first introduction to the sport. Nikon was looking to hire athletes to do a photoshoot for a commercial. The camera and lens we tested ended up getting used for the advertising campaign. We ended up coming back to the Sarasota Polo Club for various projects after that. That’s how I got introduced to the previous ownership and management team. We did a third project in 2015, and I asked the manager if I could come back and photograph the sport outside of the Nikon project.”

You have shot most of the major professional team sports for Getty Images.

How does photographing polo compare?

“The athletes are different. When I say ‘the athletes,’ I don’t just mean the athletes on top of the horse. I mean the horse itself too. When it comes to polo, the most difficult part is getting in tune with the horse. You’re looking at so many things, and the field is so large.

The connection that the athletes have with their partners is what I find most difficult to show. But it is the best part of the sport to show. It is what makes for the best pictures.

Those shots are the most beautiful ones out there.”

How did you learn more about the sport of polo?

“Eric Nalpas, who is the Sarasota Polo Club videographer. He also helps with their photography when needed. I also watched polo whenever I could on the internet. Being out there, you see that the actual play typically happens close to the goal -- but not within 15 to 20 yards of the end zone. It’s a little further back, but also not in the middle of the field.

In the early days, I might shoot one or two chukkers and then sit back and watch the rest of the match, especially that first year. I remember sitting in the stands as a spectator. I was just watching and seeing where a lot of the action happens. I spent close to a season spectating and shooting maybe one or two chukkers per match to learn the best places to shoot from.”

As a photographer, you’re always balancing the need to get close to the action while keeping yourself safe and out of the action. Have you ever been injured while photographing polo?

“Knock on wood, nothing major. I’ve been grazed by a ball, a mallet and a horse a couple of times. Dating back to when I was a kid visiting my family in the Dominican Republic, they always said that you need to be confident around a horse. The horse feels that. If you move suddenly, you can spook a horse. If an athlete is coming right at you, you don’t move.

Let the athlete control the horse, and they will move. In 2019, a ball flew right past me. I got a perfect shot that filled the frame with the athlete and the horse. As the horse leapt over me, it grazed my shoulder as I was holding a very expensive camera and lens. But, luckily, I’ve never been hurt through this sport.”

I can’t believe you can get that close to the action. How does that compare with other sports that you shoot?

“This is a lot more intense. With baseball, you can anticipate a foul ball to some extent.

With football, you’re seeing the play happen as long as you’re aware of your space. If you’re going to get crushed on a football field, it’s because you didn’t get away in time. You were living in your lens. In polo, you can’t live inside your lens because the horses are coming at you. With a 2,000-pound athlete, it is way more intense.”

What is your ideal day at Sarasota Polo Club?

“Each one has its own greatness to it. I love the helicopter Easter egg drop on Easter Sunday because it is such a beautiful event. The helicopter flies over, and the kids run to the center of the field after the eggs have been dropped. Being a father, I know my kids would be ecstatic if a helicopter was that close and eggs dropped like that. I would say that is my favorite day. But really, any Sunday with a high-goal tournament is a great day because there is always going to be more action on the polo field. I love telling stories with photos from beginning to end, starting with when the athletes arrive to prepare the horses, to actually playing the game, to washing the horses after they have worked and putting them back at the trailers. I love every Sunday Polo for a different reason.”

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The Sarasota Polo Club Salutes Championship Sponsors

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Learn the Polo Basics A viewer’s guide to one of the fastest growing sports

a hardwood head, is the instrument used to hit the polo ball.

The polo ball was formerly made of wood but is now plastic. It is about 3 to 3 ½ inches in diameter and 3 ½ to 4 ½ ounces in weight. In fact, the English word “polo” is derived from the Tibetan word “pulu,” meaning ball.

The surface of a polo field requires careful and constant grounds maintenance to keep the field in good playing condition. During halftime of a match, spectators are invited to go onto the field to participate in a polo tradition called “divot stomping,” which was developed to not only help replace the mounds of earth (divots) that are torn up by the horses’ hooves, but to also afford spectators the opportunity to walk about and socialize.

There are six periods, or “chukkers,” in a match. Each chukker is seven and a half minutes long. Play begins with a throw-in of the ball by the umpire at the opening of each chukker and after each goal. Only penalties or injuries may stop play as there are no timeouts or substitutions allowed (except for tack repair).

The 2,500-year-old game of polo is one of the fastest and most technical sports played today. It is gaining increasing popularity as a premier spectator sport and can be an easy game for the first-time spectator to enjoy. Here are a few basic facts to help you watch the game: GAME BASICS Polo is played on a 10-acre grass field, 300 yards in length by 160 yards, which is the approximate area of 10 football fields.

Goal posts are set eight yards apart on either end of the field. The object of the game is to move the ball downfield, hitting the ball through the goal for a score. Teams change direction after each goal. The team with the most scores at the end of the match is deemed the winner.

Two teams, made up of four players each, are designated by shirt color. The players wear high boots, knee guards, and a helmet. The ponies wear protective bandages and boots to shield them from the ball or the mallet. By tradition, players wear white pants in tournaments. The mallet, made of a bamboo shaft with sar asota polo

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Experience matters Knowing the right people could make all the difference

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The four basic shots in polo are distinguished by the side of the pony on which strokes or shots are made. That is “near-side” (left side of the mount) and “off-side” (right side of the mount).

This creates the near-side forward and back shot, and the off-side forward and back shot. Shots can also be made under the pony’s neck, across his tail, or the difficult under-the-belly shot, all variations of the basic shots.

A team is made up of four players, each wearing a jersey numbered 1 through 4, which corresponds to their assigned position. No. 1 is the most offensive player, concentrating on opportunities for scoring. No. 4 is the defensive player, primarily responsible for defending his team’s goal. Usually, the most experienced and highest-rated players are at positions 2 and 3, with the pivotal player being No. 3, who must serve as an effective field captain, or quarterback. The No. 3 coordinates the offense, and passes the ball upfield to his teammates as they press toward the opposition’s goal. Each player is also assigned an opponent to cover on defense and must be prepared to shift offensive and defensive modes and to make any play that will benefit his team.

THE RULES Although there are many rules to the game of polo, the primary concept to which all rules are dedicated is safety – for the player and his mount.

The right-of-way rule is defined by a player’s position relative to the direction of travel of the ball when hit. Once hit, an imaginary line is drawn from the player to the ball, and extended ahead of the ball in the direction it is traveling. This imaginary line can not be crossed by other players. In general, play will flow backward and forward, parallel to the imaginary line extended ahead of, and behind, the ball. This rule creates safe traffic patterns that enable the participants to play at top speeds and to avoid dangerous collisions.

The line of the ball may not be crossed except under special circumstances and only in such a way as to legitimately gain control of the ball. When a player has the line of the ball on his right, he has the right-of-way. This can only be taken away by “riding off” and moving the player off the line of the ball by making shoulder-to-shoulder contact.

Strategy and anticipation are two of the most important elements in polo and usually come with experience. For the spectator, keep an eye on the horses. The speed and athletic abilities of both the horse and rider are spectacular. All of these elements combined make the fast-paced action of polo one of the most exciting and demanding sports in the world.

PLAYER HANDICAPS Each player is assigned an individual handicap on the ascending basis of C, B, A (-2 through 0) and 1 through 10. This handicap reflects the player’s ability and his value to the team.

The higher the handicap, the better the player (which is opposite to golf). There are only a few 10-goal players in the world.

The team handicap is the combined handicaps of the four players. The team with the lesser handicap is granted the difference in goals (or points) prior to the start of the match. For that reason, a match may well have a “score” prior to the start of the game based on team handicaps.

Player handicaps are evaluated and revised annually by the United States Polo Association. Handicapping is a subjective evaluation of the individual’s horsepower, game sense, hitting ability, and overall value to a team.

PONIES The polo ponies are central to the success of any team. They are primarily Thoroughbreds, often with race track experience, and considered the most athletic of equine performers because of the requirements to sprint, stop, turn and accelerate to open speed for seven minutes in duration. Although they are called “ponies,” they are actually small horses (average height 15 to 16 hands high, 1 hand=4 inches). Players must change mounts after each chukker due to extreme demands placed on the ponies. Therefore, a team usually has a minimum of 24 horses available during the match.

Most horses can be trained to play polo, however training horses to learn the game should only be taken on by experienced polo players. Beginner and intermediate players are much better off buying an already trained polo pony.

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Polopedia Basic Definitions to add to Your Polo Watching Enjoyment

Back Shot: A shot, which can be hit from either side of the horse, that sends the ball backwards.

Chukker: Similar to “periods” in basketball. There are six chukkers in a polo match, each one lasting 7 ½ minutes. Between each chukker, players change horses.

Divot Stomping: An activity that incorporates spectators into the game.

During halftime, spectators are invited to go onto the playing field to replace pieces of turf that have been dug up by the horses.

Double-Chukkered: This term means that the same horse has been approved to be played again in a later chukker.

Hook: This is an extremely effective defensive technique. A player may use his mallet to interfere with his opponent’s swing by “hooking” the opponent’s mallet with his own.

Knock-In: Should a team, in an offensive drive, hit the ball across the opponents’ backline, the defending team resumes the game with a free hit from the backline.

Line-of-the-Ball or Right-of-Way: This imaginary line follows the path that the ball takes. On each side of this line is a lane, and these two lanes determine the right-of-way of the player in possession of the ball.

Near-Side Shot: This type of shot is made from the left side of the horse. A near-side shot can either be a forehand or backhand shot.

Neck Shot: A ball which is hit under a horse’s neck from either side of the horse.

Off-Side Shot: The off-side is the right side of the horse. So the off-side shot is a shot made on the right side of the horse, either sending the ball forward or backward. It is the most commonly used shot in polo. sar asota polo

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Penalties: Penalty 1: Player commits a dangerous or deliberate foul in vicinity of goal in order to save a goal. The team fouled is awarded an automatic goal. The game will resume with a penalty hit from the center of the field (Penalty 5.b) awarded to the fouled team and a change in direction. Penalty 2: A penalty hit by the team fouled from the center of the 30-yard line nearest the fouling team’s goal or from the spot where the foul occurred. Penalty 3: Penalty hit by the team fouled from center of the 40-yard line nearest the fouling team’s goal. Penalty 4: Free hit at the ball by the team fouled from the center of the 60-yard line nearest the fouling team’s goal. Penalty 5: There are two designations for a Penalty 5; 5.a or 5.b. (a) hit from the spot where the ball was when foul occurred, but four yards from boards or sidelines (b) penalty hit from the center of the field. Penalty 6 or Safety: Occurs when a player hits the ball over their own end line.

A penalty will be hit from a spot 60 yards from the end line opposite where the ball crossed the end line, but no more than 40 yards from the center of the 60-yard line.

Ride-Off: A ride-off occurs when two riders attempt to push each other off the line of the ball.

Tail Shot: A tail shot involves hitting the ball behind and under the horse’s rump.

Third Man: This refers to the referee who sits off the field. If and when the two umpires on the field are in disagreement, the third man breaks the tie and makes the final decision.

Throw-In: A chukker begins and many plays resume with the umpire “bowling in” the ball between the two ready teams in what is called a “throw-in.”

Umpires: Like referees in football, polo has umpires. There are two mounted umpires on the field for each game. They consult each other after each infringement and impose a penalty only if they agree.

If they do not agree, they consult with the third man. They are responsible for monitoring the play to keep it safe for both the players and the horses.

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Tools OF THE Trade

The rules for equipment vary in details between the hosting authorities, but are always for the safety of the players and their mounts.

Polo, also known as the “sport of kings,” is a pastime that demands a kit to match. A polo player’s equipment is very important not only for safety, comfort and performance, but also to demonstrate the right attitude to playing the game.

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Polo Boots

Protective Helmet

For the same reasons that knee pads are essential to a polo player’s safety during a match, top quality riding boots are a must. Ideally, these made-forpolo boots should be thick, highquality leather with a good sole and ankle support.

Polo was once a form of training for cavalry a mentality that is easy to understand when you dress for a polo match today, with its own special protective equipment. Most important in this regard is the helmet to insure the player against any glancing blows from the polo ball, stray mallets and other potential hazards of the sport. When choosing a helmet, it is always best to choose a product which has been approved by NOSCAE (the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment).

Polo Balls

Polo Gloves

Different playing conditions can require different polo balls, so it’s best to consider which best suits your circumstances. In situations where weather conditions limit visibility, red balls can ensure a match goes ahead. The standard ball for outdoor polo is made of bamboo or willow root, measures about 3 ¼ inches in diameter and weighs about 4 ounces.

The best modern polo wear is designed not just for protection, but also comfort and challenging conditions. Good quality gloves can offer extra grip in slippery conditions and low temperatures, meaning a good pair can be the difference between success and failure in the key moments of a match.

Polo Bags

Regulation Spurs

Bags help carry each player’s equipment, including their boots, knee pads, gloves, helmet, spurs, and more.

Pair solid boots with some reliable spurs, as without a strong, preferably stainless steel pair, any issues with this will affect the player’s balance, and even safety, during the game.

At the business end of your polo game, the polo mallet needs the right specification for you.

The weight of the mallet and the length of the shaft are both customizable to ensure this instrument suits the height of the pony, as well as the rider’s playing style. The mallet handle has a rubber-wrapped grip with a webbed thong for wrapping around the hand and a flexible bamboo-cane shaft with a bamboo head 9 1/2 inches in length- the whole weighing about 7 ounces and varying from 48 to 53 inches, depending on pony size and length of a player’s arm. The ball is struck with the side of the mallet, not the end.

Saddles Saddles are English-style with deep seats, like jumping saddles.

Polo Knee Pads Knee pads are also an essential part of the kit, with a player’s legs very exposed to the rigors of the match in the saddle. Different players may favor different variations of polo knee pads, including either two or three straps (the third helping to further secure the pad if necessary).

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Polo Mallets

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Trey Zoeller

PE

People of Polo

Founder/CEO of Jefferson’s Bourbon

By Dan Guttenplan

cclaimed whiskey maker Trey Zoeller didn’t know that he was being groomed as a potential polo player when he received his first invitation to the Sarasota Polo Club back in 2015.

His friend, Brent Hamill, invited him to Lakewood Ranch to spectate on the sidelines of matches at the Sarasota Polo Club, and Zoeller did what most first-time visitors do.

“I didn’t really watch very closely,” Zoeller said. “I had a couple of cocktails and simply had a great time.”

After the polo match, Hamill and current Sarasota Polo Club owner James Miller (who was just a playing member at the Sarasota Polo Club at the time) took Zoeller back to Hamill’s polo barn, and the two polo enthusiasts continued to push Zoeller to take an interest in the sport.

“They were teaching me the ins and outs of polo,” Zoeller said. “I thought it sounded ridiculous. But, before I knew it, they called one of the professionals based out of the Sarasota Polo Club and arranged for me to go take a lesson.”

Although Zoeller had some equestrian experience in the form of trail riding, he had definitely never struck a ball with a mallet while riding a horse. But, fortunately for him, that part came naturally - at least according to his instructor.

“I tapped the ball around a few times, and he definitely was impressed. He told e that nobody picks up hitting the ball around that quickly,” Zoeller said. “That definitely put a big hook in my cheek.” sar asota polo

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Zoeller, who founded Jefferson’s Bourbon with his father, Chet, back in 1997, became “more and more addicted” to the sport while playing at his hometown club - Louisville Polo Club. Before long, he ended up with a few polo ponies of his own and was able to get his handicap raised to 0 Goals.

“It’s one of the few times in my life that I did not think about anything else,” Zoeller said. “I’m not a very accomplished rider. In the beginning, I was just concerned about staying on the horse. Then, I fell in love with the rush of hitting the ball perfectly at a good rate of speed.”

Zoeller has moved a couple of horses down to the Sarasota Polo Club for the winter season so that he can continue to play polo while visiting his friends Hamill and Miller.

In addition to his growing love for the sport of polo, he has discovered that he has developed a strong connection with his horses.

“I love to get out of the truck and be around my horses,” Zoeller said. “It takes me away from thinking about what happened at work or other things in my life that cause stress. The barn is my happy place. When I started playing polo, I didn’t know anything about horses. But I fell in love with learning each of their individual personalities and temperaments.”

Zoeller’s zest for new experiences has also been an asset in his professional life.

In recent years, he invented the process of aging bourbon at sea by testing the process of aging Jefferson’s Ocean bourbon on the bow of a ship. The caramelizing of the sugars in the barrel combined with the constant motion of the ship resulted in a dark bourbon that has a briny, savory taste aged beyond its years.

“I started this process 25 years ago at a time when I couldn’t give bourbon away,” Zoeller said. “I grew up in Kentucky where everybody drinks bourbon. It’s a way of life. It wasn’t until I moved to half a dozen other places around the country when I realized that not too many people outside of Kentucky were drinking bourbon.

“Now, we have 21 difference expressions of Jefferson’s Bourbon, and we have located ourselves in all 50 states.”

To learn more about Jefferson’s Bourbon, visit

jeffersonsbourbon.com

Aged at the Mercy of the Sea PLEASE SIP RESPONSIBLY. ©2021 Pernod Ricard USA. New York, NY.

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Ken Kaufman & Heather Hackett

PE

People of Polo

Co-Owners, Sarasota Sports Medicine

By Dan Guttenplan

A passion for helping people live healthier lives brought Ken Kaufman and Heather Hackett together, and the newlyweds now get to share that passion with others as co-owners of Sarasota Sports Medicine.

At Sarasota Sports Medicine, the Official Sports Medicine Provider of the Sarasota Polo Club, Kaufman and Hackett offer services like deep tissue laser therapy, dry needling and acupuncture, regenerative sports medicine, nutritional coaching, functional exercise rehabilitation, chiropractic adjustments and TheraLight bed therapy.

Sarasota Sports Medicine provides services to any level of athletes from professionals to recreational weekend warriors, both through in-person consultations and through a nutrition app called Optamiz.

Dr. Kaufman, the Founder and Clinic Director, has vast experience working with elite athletes. He has been in private practice in Sarasota since 1994, a year after he graduated from Life University School of Chiropractic.

He is currently the spring training team chiropractor for both the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Hackett serves as the Sarasota Sports Medicine Plant-Based Nutrition Consultant. She has spent much of her 20-year professional career educating and empowering both children and adults to make life-changing choices as a book publisher, author and trainer.

“A lot of our clients come in for one specific thing like an injury,” Kaufman said. “Invariably, they work with Heather on a nutrition plan and find out about some of the other services that we offer at Sarasota Sports Medicine.”

Hackett uses genetic and food sensitivity testing to help her clients achieve their fitness goals and feel healthier. She also helps them transition to a plant-based lifestyle through Optamiz. Hackett believes that athletes who sar asota polo

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suffer pain or inflammation can benefit from small, subtle changes in their diets.

“That’s how it works together,” Hackett said. “Even professional athletes get food sensitivity tests done every six months because food sensitivities can change. Athletes have to be at the best performance level possible. It’s not just about what you eat; it’s what works best for your body.”

Kaufman and Hackett were introduced to the Sarasota Polo Club by a good friend three years ago. They have since enjoyed the tailgating scene at the Sarasota Polo Club.

“We only know the sport from the tailgating perspective,” Kaufman said. “We fell in love with it from day one.”

Many Sarasota Polo Club regulars might recognize the newlywed couple’s green Jeep with the Optamiz logo. The view from the Sarasota Polo Club sidelines has also helped Kaufman and Hackett better understand some of the polo injuries that they have been treating at Sarasota Sports Medicine. Some of the more common injuries to equestrian athletes include elbow pain, shoulder injuries, compression injuries to the lower back, neck pain from whiplash, and concussions.

“We take care of quite a few equestrians,” Kaufman said. “The injuries vary. We treat a fair share of overuse injuries. We also deal with athletes who have been kicked or thrown from horses.”

For Hackett, one of the more rewarding parts of the job is hearing that satisfied clients have spread the word about the business to new patients.

“The biggest source of our business is referrals,” Hackett said. “Most of our clients come in after years of trying diets that ’never worked’. We teach them how to achieve lifelong results without dieting, they’re thrilled and they continuously tell their friends.

That’s great for us.”

941.927.0546 1400 CATTLEMEN ROAD, SARASOTA • SARASOTASPORTSMED.COM

People of Polo

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Labor and Employment Law, Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

PE

Kimbrell J. Hines

By Dan Guttenplan

imbrell Hines moved to Sarasota, Florida in 2020 to begin her career at Williams Parker Attorneys at Law. She was thrilled to have the opportunity to join such a prestigious firm, and quickly dove into her labor and employment law and equine law practices. But moving to a new area during the height of the pandemic presented its challenges.

“I didn’t know anyone when I moved here and I wanted to connect with people,” said Hines. The firm encouraged her to get involved with the equestrian community in Lakewood Ranch. “I kept hearing about the Sarasota Polo Club, and I thought that playing polo might be a good way to meet new people,” said Hines.

Hines is no stranger to horseback riding. She developed her affinity for horses after her parents built a miniature hobby farm in Tennessee. While her parents were not “horse people,” they bought Hines her first horse, named Trigger.

Not long after purchasing Trigger, Hines’ parents got her signed up for riding lessons at a local barn.

Hines quickly became skilled at riding and competing, which earned her the opportunity to ride at the University of Tennessee homecoming football game before kickoff. sar asota polo

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In college at the University of Florida, Hines secured a spot competing on the equestrian team.

Hines remains an active equestrian, competing in American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) western and hunt seat divisions. Since coming to play at the Sarasota Polo Club, she has developed a newfound appreciation for the athleticism and power of both horses and their riders. “I didn’t play team sports growing up, so it has been fun to ride with a group of people,” Hines said.

Hines continues to learn and develop as a polo player. “The hardest part of playing has been learning the rules of the sport,” Hines said. “If you go the wrong direction or make a mistake and break a rule, you could get yourself or someone else hurt. It is kind of like driving cars on the interstate. There is no stopping allowed in polo. You have to make decisions quickly. If you don’t make the right ones, you could have a pile-up. But there’s no better feeling of hitting the ball just right and scoring a goal. It makes all of the hours of practice worth it.”

Hines knows that she still has a lot to learn and appreciates the support that she has received from the polo community thus far.

About Williams Parker Attorneys at Law Williams Parker Attorneys at Law was founded in 1925. Williams Parker comprises over 50 attorneys and offers one of Florida’s largest trusts and estates practices, and accomplished real estate, tax, employment, corporate, healthcare, and litigation practices. The firm also serves clients’ needs globally through its membership in Ally Law, an international alliance of law firms with a membership of 60 firms that includes over 2,300 lawyers in 100 business centers throughout 40 countries.

Williams Parker takes great pride in its contributions to the community and ongoing investment in its region.

For more information, visit williamsparker.com

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People of Polo

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Restauranteur - GROVE & Pier 22

PE

Greg Campbell

By Dan Guttenplan

reg Campbell has always had a passion for feeding people, and he’s found a way to fuel that passion through his partnership with the Sarasota Polo Club.

The Executive Chef and Director of Operations at GROVE in Lakewood Ranch and PIER 22 in Bradenton has spent many Sunday’s catering on the sidelines of the Sarasota Polo Club while taking in the spectacular polo scene.

“I’ve catered on those fields for many years,” Campbell said.

“I’ve cooked at private functions or for people looking for catering during [Sunday Polo]. It’s definitely a cool deal. They tailgate more than football.”

Campbell fell in love with cooking at an early age in his French grandmother’s kitchen, and his menu draws inspiration from several types of international cuisines. It is a joy for him to be able to recreate the smells and tastes that his grandmother shared with him.

“I love what I do; feeding people is definitely a passion,” Campbell said. “Having people over for dinner every night is fun. Whether it’s going to people’s houses or going to the polo fields, I’m willing to travel.”

Campbell has the accolades to speak to his passion for cooking. In 2013, he won Best Chefs America. More recently, he was designated as the Manatee Tourism Ambassador. Working alongside GROVE and PIER 22 owner Hugh Miller, Campbell strives to create restaurants that offer something for people of all tastes. sar asota polo

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“We have a really large menu that is really diverse,” Campbell said. “We want to make everybody happy. If you can’t find something on the menu that you want to order, that’s a problem.”

At GROVE, Campbell cooks on a plancha grill and flavors the entrees with creative dressings, like beef demi and béarnaise sauces or bleu cheese and horseradish crusts. Some of his favorite meals to serve include a prime rib dinner with a twice baked potato and asparagus (available Friday and Saturday evenings); blackened scallops with prosciutto, spinach, tomato, linguine and alfredo sauce; or the pan seared grouper with crab meat, hollandaise sauce, asparagus and sweet pea risotto.

Those who have visited GROVE know the bar scene is unmatched in the Lakewood Ranch area. Popular craft cocktails include the barrel-smoked old fashioned with noble oak bourbon, demerara, house orange and bitters, as well as the tree nymph with organic vodka, domaine De canton, prosecco, housemade sour and seasonal fruit cubes.

While Campbell loves nothing more than seeing his customers enjoy the food and ambience of his own restaurants, he also loves to sample other restaurants -- particularly when his family is traveling.

“We love to go to little local restaurants when we go out of town,” Campbell said.

“That’s when we really like to dine out. I look for James Beard Award winning restaurants, although those are the ones that are harder to get into. If we can get a table, we love to go.”

As Campbell’s business has expanded, he has found fewer opportunities to cook at work. His wife and daughter have reaped the benefits of that transition because he has continued to perfect his craft at home.

“I have 300 employees, so that cuts down on the amount of time I spend in the kitchen,” Campbell said. “I enjoy cooking at home. We still enjoy going out to little local restaurants on occasion, but I cook everything when we are at home.”

Campbell’s catering business provides an outlet for him to get back to his roots as a chef who loves to make people happy with his food. He’s grateful to the patrons of the Sarasota Polo Club for allowing him to pursue his passion. To book catering services with Campbell, call 941-748-8087.

eXp Realty

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Victoria Campbell

PE

People of Polo

By Dan Guttenplan

ictoria Campbell is from Zimbabwe, her husband is from South Africa, and yet her life’s pursuit is to share the wonders of living in Lakewood Ranch through her profession as a realtor with eXp Realty.

“I have lived in this area off and on for the last 30 years,” Victoria said. “I know this area, and I’m passionate about helping others find their perfect home. I really think Sarasota is one of the best places to live because of its amazing restaurants, beaches, shops and very good theater. It offers so much while still having a small-town feel to it.”

Victoria met her husband, Stuart, who is a professional polo player, at the Sarasota Polo Club in the early 1990’s when she was a graduate student at the University of South Florida. Stuart came to the United States from South Africa on a three-month holiday to play polo and ended up staying for three years. He and Victoria bonded over a common passion for horses and the sport of polo.

“On the weekends, my father and brother played polo [at the Sarasota Polo Club],” Victoria said. “I was mucking out [stalls] and playing a little bit. I met Stuart that way, and then we both moved back to South Africa for two and a half years. We were going to live there; we even bought a farm. Then, we decided that America is an amazing country and we wanted to come back here. We are free to do what we like [in America], and that was appealing from the perspective of raising a family.” sar asota polo

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The Campbells have done just that, and now Victoria is passionate about helping other families experience the same joy in the Sarasota region. Her children have been fortunate enough to experience the rewards that the sport of polo offers, while also having the opportunity to form friendships with the other members of the Sarasota Polo Club.

Both Victoria’s daughter, Pippa (a 19-year-old student at Florida State University) and her son, Ian (an 18-year-old senior at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School) have organized fundraisers at the Sarasota Polo Club to help fund the construction of wells in the villages of Zambia, Africa.

“It’s been wonderful to see them grow up learning the value of hard work as well as gaining the understanding that polo is a great team sport,” Victoria said. “They’ve had opportunities to meet different people from all over the world. It’s given them confidence to take on something quite challenging and do relatively well.”

Victoria, who moved to the United States at the age of 11, is grateful to the members of the Sarasota Polo Club for contributing to the two fundraisers that her children have organized, which have helped send $15,000 to her home continent. For that, she is eager to continue to assist anyone in the Sarasota community in finding the home of his or her dream.

“It’s been an amazing experience for my kids to see people who have been so generous,” Victoria said. “Polo provides a wonderful way to bring people together for a really fun, worthwhile sport. I’ll always be grateful for that, and I hope that I can find a way through my work to pay it forward.”

VictoriaCampbellSells.com

MOVE TO WHAT MOVES YOU! Dedication, Communication and Trust Victoria Campbell Realtor

352.446.4758 campbell7830@gmail.com VictoriaCampbellSells.com

What is That?

Key Terms and Definitions

a

Bandages Protective wrapping that shield ponies’ legs against contact with the ball, a mallet, or another ponies’ hooves.

b

Braided Tail

c

Knee Pad

Prevents interference of the tail with a mallet.

For knee protection.

d

Breeches

e

Helmet

Proper pants required for all equestrians. Always white for polo tournaments.

The helmet protects the player from swinging mallets and balls traveling at a speed of nearly 100 mph.

f

Jersey Number

g

Reins

Each player wears a number - either 1, 2, 3, or 4. Every team member has a different role in the game based on their jersey number.

Run from the bit of the bridle (on the polo pony) to the player. Allows the rider to control his or her pony.

h

Bridles This series of leather starrings and supports give the player steering and stopping control.

i

Breast Plate A piece of leather that stops the saddle from sliding backwards.

j

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Mallet Made of Bamboo or plastic composite shafts. Mallets come in different lengths depending on the height of the pony.

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for you about

you.

A

Gift and a Curse

The Art of Manufacturing Polo Mallets

By Dan Guttenplan

It is the sound that every polo player dreads.

You are sitting atop your horse in the midst of a polo match, and nothing but a green field is in front of you. A goal is in your future as long as you are able to finish off this charge towards the goal.

You grip the handle of your polo mallet tightly and prepare to strike the ball flush. Instead, the head of the polo mallet hits the ball awkwardly, and the sound of your mallet snapping punctuates a broken play.

For you, the next move might be to swap out your broken mallet for a similar model and resume the game.

But what has been set in motion is a competitive, secretive process of replacing or fixing that mallet.

What you might see as a $120 investment in purchasing a new mallet -- or even a $35 investment in repairing it -- is a lifelong pursuit in a rare profession of crafting artisanal, handmade, wooden polo mallets.

The people who invest their lives in this profession protect the secrets of their craftsmanship as if they are protecting their own children. They travel to Indonesia or Malaysia for weeks at a time to hand-select the perfect materials. They build their own ovens so that they perfect the art of crafting mallets with the ideal rigidity.

In explaining their expertise, the polo mallet makers gloss over the specifics so as not to empower the next great polo mallet craftsman.

Manufacturing polo mallets is an art. No, it is more than that. It is a sar asota polo

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life’s mission that requires discipline, humility and professional pride.

The discipline comes in the details.

The vine that produces polo mallets needs to grow for almost 15 years to provide the perfect pliability. The polo manufacturer’s patience is rewarded with a material that molds into a mallet with the proper whippiness and weight.

The pride comes in the perfect execution without cutting any corners.

Measure twice, cut once. The cane must be cut so precisely that it fits -- to the fraction of an inch -- a specific player’s preference.

The humility comes when newcomers -- or even experienced veterans -- task the manufacturer with the most difficult requests. Hours upon hours are spent crafting handmade mallets, only for customers to ask for

GIFT SHOP

▶▶ To see a mallet up close, visit the Sarasota Polo Club Gift Shop every Sunday during Sunday Polo.

something more or something better.

“What I have noticed is that the higher-level players tend to be more specific and picky about their mallet specifications,” said Tomas Aubone, who runs a polo mallet manufacturing and reparation business out of Naperville, Illinois. “The canes need to be a specific flex and weight. There is such a range of things that they ask for.

They might request stiff, medium-stiff, normal, whippy or really whippy. They might want a light head so that it feels like a fly swatter. They might ask for a normal cane with a heavier head or a whippy cane with a flattened head. The most difficult part is when clients say that they do not know how to explain what they want, but they will know it when they feel it.”

Most Sarasota Polo Club residents

purchase their homemade custom mallets from one of two suppliers -- Tato’s Mallets (owned by Santiago “Tato” Alvarez) or Nano’s Custom Made Mallets (owned by Adriano “Nano” Perez). For the purposes of this story, both Tato and Nano played it close to the vest when it came to explaining the respective processes for making mallets. Seeing as though the two Wellington business owners are competitors, speaking with discretion seemed understandable. However, when Aubone, an Illinois polo mallet maker, was just as guarded about production details, it pointed to an industry standard of secrecy and competitiveness.

Below is a description of the production process for polo mallets based on interviews with Aubone, Nano and Tato.

39

The most difficult part is when clients say that they do not know how to explain what they want, but they will know it when they feel it.

-T homas Aubone, Aubone Polo Mallets Naperville

Pulling Back The Curtain Nano’s wife, Irene Perez, wants to get out in front of a common mistake.

“Mallets are not made of bamboo,” Nano said. “I see that in stories all the time. It is not bamboo. Mallets are made from manau.”

The shaft is made of manau, a cane made from rattan that grows in Indonesia and Malaysia. Manau is a vine that grows at a rate of 40 feet per year and reaches more than 600 feet before it is cut.

The vine is cut from the root, and only one mallet can be manufactured per vine.

“It is not super easy; you cannot mass produce rattan,” said Aubone. “You cannot cut a vine into two pieces and make two mallets.”

Mallet heads are made from tipa wood, found in northern Argentina as well as parts of Brazil and Paraguay.

Mallet manufacturers have varying levels of obsession when it comes to selecting the ideal canes for mallets. Tato ships the canes from Indonesia, buying them extra long so that he can select the best part of the stick with the requisite diameters. The rest of the stick is used for making rattan furniture.

Nano is even more particular. He makes annual trips to processing plants in Indonesia and Malaysia to select the cane.

For two weeks, he tests -- and tastes -- the cane to find the perfect fit for polo mallets.

He puts the end of the cut stalks in his mouth to taste whether it has been cooked in diesel or kerosene. If it has been cooked in kerosene, he rules it out.

“The kerosene cooks too hot and too quickly,” Nano said.

Nano estimates he rejects about 80% of the canes that he samples. Once he selects a cane, he keeps only the first nine feet. He then picks the best 49 to 54 inches for the mallet. He keeps part of the root, which he shapes to form the handle.

Aubone travels to Malaysia or Indonesia to visit rattan warehouses and hand-select the ideal canes.

“Most makers go straight to Indonesia or Malaysia because they want to hand-select certain types that look good for polo mallets,” Aubone said.

Once the cane is selected and shipped, the

Players take pride in the customization of their mallet head.

Some players will have custom graphics applied, while others prefer a more traditional design.

production process moves to the shops in the United States. At this point, both Nano and Tato typically have back-orders of customized mallet requests from clients, so they attempt to honor the desired height, flexibility, head size and handle diameter.

An accepted labor of love in the industry is that the manufacturers build their own ovens to heat the mallets. First, the manau is soaked in water and then heated in the oven to soften so that it can be straightened.

“Everyone in this business has their own secrets when it comes to building an oven,” Irene said. “They will not let you see it either, because they do not want to share their secrets.”

Aubone is on the same page as Irene.

He built his business’s oven, and he is not willing to share so much as a photo for fear of giving away the family secret. Just this year, he built a second oven for the family business.

“I will not tell you the exact temperatures,” Aubone said. “You want an oven that will heat up quickly, but it sar asota polo

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cannot be too fast or too slow. Otherwise, you will dry out or burn the cane.”

The process of heating the cane in the oven allows the manufacturer to straighten the cane without compromising the flexibility or whippiness.

“You want to get out the moisture and put the cane in a certain state so that it will bend and bounce back,” Aubone said. “Once the cane is cooked in the oven, you take it out and straighten it.

The cane has to be straight enough to roll on the ground in a straight line.”

After the pieces of manau are straightened, they are cut to size between 49 and 54 inches. The length of the mallet typically depends on the height of the horse that the player is riding.

The part of the mallet that a player handles is the part of the manau closest to the root. That is the thickest part of the cane, so it is shaped to the player’s preferred thickness.

“Once we determine where to put the handle, we use a material similar to the wick in a lighter to attach it,” Aubone

Player Preferences There are many factors to take into consideration when manufacturing a polo mallet -- with players making specific requests as to the length, weight, diameter, flexibility and even price.

“When someone calls looking for a mallet for the first time, I ask them a series of questions,” Irene said. “I ask about their height. I also ask, from 1 to 10, how strong are you?”

Sarasota Polo Club member Brent Hamill shares his preferences in the customized categories below:

said. “Then we wrap it in rubber. We cut off the extra wood to make the butt of the handle. Then we use a nail gun to put several nails along the handle and butt so that they do not come loose.”

The manufacturer then staples on a length of webbed cloth for the “sling.” That strap slips over the player’s thumb and wraps around his/ her hand.

That strap has to be able to detach from the handle in the event that the mallet gets caught under the horse. Otherwise, it could cause serious injury. The handle is then wrapped in rubber tape for grip.

The head of the mallet is wedged onto the end of the cane with a wood plug. It is then set with glue. The heads come in cigar-shaped pieces and can be customized to the preferences of a particular player.

Like the shafts, the heads come in various sizes and weights. They weigh between 6 and 8 ½ ounces. The shapes include cylinders, flatbottomed, regular or oversized cigar shapes.

The final step is painting the mallet to a specific player’s request. Some players prefer flags of their country of origin on the head. Others prefer simple designs. Once that process is complete, the mallet is sold for approximately $120.

Mallet Length: “A lot of players will use different sized mallets for different horses,” Hamill said. “Most of my horses are about the same size, so I most often use a 52-inch cane.”

Weight: “The heads of the mallet are different weights,” Hamill said. “Through the years, I have gone with a slightly lighter mallet head. The lighter head helps with fatigue on the elbow. The heavier the mallet, the more weight you have to cantilever. That strains the elbow.”

Flexibility: “You are looking for the stiffness in the cane,” Hamill said. “I like a cane with a little whip in it. Picking a mallet is like picking a tennis racquet. Every tennis player has their favorite string and tension.”

Handle Diameter: “The grips come in all different sizes,” Hamill said. “I’m not someone who is adept enough to slide the mallet around in my hand, so I don’t need a small handle. Larger handles seem to reduce strain on the wrist.”

Players have the opportunity to adjust their mallet to match their playing style.

Precise adjustments to the size and shape of a mallet can significantly change how the mallet plays.

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Brent Hamill

Lakewood Ranch, FL

Head Shape: “You have to decide if you want more of a regular cigar shape or a tapered head,” Hamill said. “Personally, I like the ones that are tapered on the end. I used to have them shave off the bottom and make them flat. That allowed me to get under the ball with a little more loft. It also allowed me to swing the mallet harder by taking some of the weight off.”

Inventory: “I have got a dozen 52’s hanging up there,” Hamill said. “I have maybe one or two 51’s left, along with one or two 53’s. I do not think that it is unusual for players to have at least a dozen mallets at a time. Some have 20. Hopefully, I do not break any throughout the course of a season, but that is unfortunately not realistic.

Repairs: A new mallet typically retails for about $120. Tato’s and Nano’s both offer repair services at roughly 30% of the cost of a new mallet.They splice new cane onto a broken mallet, matching diameter and flexibility. “It is total art,” Hamill said. “For them to be able to take old mallets and make them usable again, it is art.”

The

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PRINCE PHILIP

and His Legacy

By Abby Weingarten

When Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away in April of 2021 at the Windsor Castle in England at the age of 99, he left an indelible mark on the global equestrian community—one that is felt locally by those that he inspired.

P

rince Philip was encouraged to get into the sport of polo in 1949 by his uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who started playing in 1921 while serving in India. Being an avid equestrian himself, Prince Philip fell in love with the sport and was very serious about training, playing and buying the best horses. Wanting to represent Windsor Park well, he always hired the best polo professionals to play on his team, The Blue Jackets.

Prince Philip travelled around the world to compete in various international polo tournaments, including Argentina and the United States. But his most memorable wins came in 1957 and 1966 at home, in England, when he became a two-time winner of the British Open Gold Cup. sar asota polo

In 1955, Prince Philip formed the Household Brigade Polo Club, now known as the Guards Polo Club, which has since become one of the most prestigious polo clubs in the world. He was also President of the London Polo Committee. He even wrote a book, titled “An Introduction to Polo,” which is now considered to be one of the most valuable books about polo published.

Like his uncle, Prince Philip reached a handicap of 5 goals before retiring from the sport in 1971 at the age of 50. But he did not leave the equestrian community completely. He just decided to change disciplines - to combined driving - a sport that Sarasota Polo Club owner James Miller and his wife Misdee Wrigley Miller have come to love and compete internationally in over the past 12 years.

“When Prince Phillip retired, he began experimenting with pleasure driving, as his family had a building full of antique carriages in the Royal Muse,” James Miller says.

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In 1972, Prince Philip travelled to Aachen, Germany to attend the first Combined Driving World Championship. It was there that he fell in love with the sport, which closely resembles three day eventing, a sport Prince Philip’s daughter Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise regularly competed in.

The Millers were fortunate enough to have had a personal connection to Prince Philip during his lifetime. “I had the opportunity to converse with Prince Phillip on several occasions while I was in England personally competing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show,” James Miller says.

“He once explained to me that, as he learned the ‘art of driving,’ he began collaborating with others in the profession and hobby, and then began to develop the competitive sport of combined driving.”

Prince Philip immediately sought to re-format the rulebook for combined driving. He spent much of his time developing carriages, harness and other pieces of equipment specifically designed for the marathon (cross country) phase of the sport. He also spent hours training his own horses to be able to compete successfully in the sport.

He began his competitive career in 1973, and in 1980 was selected to represent Great Britain at the World Championships at home at Windsor Castle for the Royal Windsor Horse Show. While they did not win a medal, Britain did win the European Championships the following year in Switzerland. He continued a very successful competition career, earning many more prestigious medals, before retiring in 2003.

With his hard work and dedication to the sport, he helped bring a great deal of respectability for the discipline in the eyes of other Federation Equestre International (FEI) disciplines. His skill and good horsemanship made him easily accepted into the equestrian community.

Prince Philip’s love of carriage driving was a passion he shared with his granddaughter, Lady Louise Mountbatten - the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Edward and Sophie.

The Millers, who have enjoyed their own impressive equestrian careers, also admire Prince Philip’s. They hope Prince Philip’s commitment to both combined driving and polo continues to influence younger generations of equestrians.

Prince Phillip believed that it was necessary to attract the younger population to equestrian sports, particularly to driving, such that the ‘art of driving’ could continue to be preserved and taught to the younger generations of horsemen and women.

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Terr a Nova Equestrian

T

Center

By Kimbrell Hines

erraNova Equestrian Center, located just 20 minutes from downtown Lakewood Ranch, is a stunning state-of-the-art equestrian competition facility. TerraNova is specifically designed to host eventing, show jumping, and dressage equestrian competitions.

Eventing is an impressive and demanding type of equestrian competition that tests a horse and rider’s stamina, athleticism, and talent. Originally, eventing was designed to test the skill and athleticism of cavalry units and has since evolved into a sport that culminates in international tournaments and the Olympics Games.

Eventing can be described as an “equestrian triathlon.”

The competition consists of three phases – dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. The first phase, dressage, tests the horse and rider’s ability to execute a series of maneuvers designed to showcase the horse’s training, athletic ability, and quality of movement.

The second phase of the competition, cross-country, tests the horse’s speed and endurance. Cross-country

takes place outside of the arena on an approximately two to four-mile course with elevation changes. On the cross-country course, riders navigate embankments, jump solid obstacles made of logs or brush, leap over ditches, and jump over or into water obstacles. The crosscountry phase of eventing is timed to determine which horse-and-rider pair can navigate the course closest to the optimum time.

The final phase - show jumping - tests the horse’s stamina, athleticism, and training. In show jumping, horse and rider pairs are timed while completing a series of jumps in a predetermined order. Penalties are given for jump rails knocked down or for horses refusing to jump.

At the conclusion of all three phases, horses and riders receive an average score totaling their penalties accrued during their performances in all three phases. The horse and rider team with the lowest number of penalties is the winner. If there is a tie, the winner is decided by whoever received the best cross country score.

PHOTO CREDIT: AL GREEN PHOTOGRAPHY

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Design & Development Visitors to the TerraNova Equestrian Center do not have to look hard to see how much thought went into the design and development of the facility. During the development stage, TerraNova Equestrian Center consulted with experts in various industries to develop safe jump equipment, an organized layout, and pristine footing and ground conditions.

The cross country course - designed by Olympic goldmedalist Captain Mark Phillips and built by master craftsman Eric Bull - incorporates jump obstacles representing iconic Sarasota sites like the the Ringling Bridge and the Siesta Key lifeguard stands.

The facility will expand its operations to include permanent stabling for more than 600 horses, rental cabins with attached barns and paddocks, a permanent viewing building for the main arena, and a campground with RV hook-ups.

Even non-horse enthusiasts will be able to appreciate the beauty of TerraNova Equestrian Center. In addition to the equine amenities, TerraNova Equestrian Center also aims to offer a great environment for spectators during the competitions. Many of the events will have a kids play zone, vendors, and food trucks. VIP experiences and tailgating options will also be available for purchase at many of their events.

Their VIP experiences offer a cool, relaxing atmosphere to enjoy watching the competition in, with catered food, bar services with signature drinks, and daily entertainment. VIP tables will have the best view of the competition in the main arena, as well as close proximity to the other show arenas and the cross-country galloping lanes. The VIP section is also conveniently located next to vendor row, so those with VIP tickets can enjoy shopping without missing any of the competition.

A Place for All Riders Since the beginning, a primary focus of TerraNova Equestrian Center has been to support and host riders of all levels in eventing and other equestrian disciplines.

The discipline of eventing has seven levels of national competition, which operate under the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) jurisdiction.

There are also five levels of international competition which are under Federation Equestre International (FEI) jurisdiction.

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TerraNova Equestrian Center aims to be an inclusive show environment that welcomes every level of rider – not just those competing at the top levels. In addition to giving riders at the lower levels a place to compete that prioritizes safety and superior footing conditions, TerraNova Equestrian Center has also made a concentrated effort to award prizes to winners at the lower levels akin to the prizes typically given in the advanced levels.

An Emphasis on Giving Back

In addition to providing a safe and enjoyable facility for equestrian competition, an integral part of TerraNova Equestrian Center’s core values is to positively impact the local community through its #WeCareAtTerraNova initiative. The initiative raises money for charitable organizations through the equestrian events held at TerraNova Equestrian Center.

During TerraNova Equestrian Center’s inaugural eventing competition, The Event at TerraNova, the #WeCareAtTerraNova initiative raised money for three local nonprofits. Participating athletes were asked to select a nonprofit to compete on behalf of. At the end of the competition, the top three finalists were awarded a grant to donate to their respective charity.

The participating charities with The Event at TerraNova Equestrian Center had distinctly different missions, which gave the competitors the option to support a cause that most resonated with them. Each nonprofit had an equal number of competitors. The nonprofits included Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, the Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy (SMART), and Southeastern Guide Dogs. These three organizations were chosen for their impact on the community, integrity, transparency, and dedication to bettering the lives of their constituents.

The first-place charity was awarded $10,000, second place received $7,500 and third place received $5,000.

TerraNova Equestrian Center covers all costs associated with #WeCareAtTerraNova and 100% of donor and sponsor proceeds were distributed directly to the cause.

sar asota polo

The Stables at TerraNova

The Stables at TerraNova offers stabling and training services. The Stables at TerraNova provides all the comforts that both humans and horses could want. The training facility includes two arenas (one open arena and one covered arena), large stalls with mattress systems, security cameras for each stall, a fly spray system, ice machine, an air-conditioned stall for horses with anhidrosis, wash stalls, special LED lighting for vets and farriers, and 22 irrigated pastures for horse turn out. Horse owners that keep their horses at the facility enjoy oversized tack lockers, a fully equipped tack room with a central cleaning island, a laundry facility, and a gym with a full bathroom that has showers and day lockers. Adjacent to the covered arena and outdoor arena are temperature-controlled viewing rooms with a full kitchen and TV’s.

The Stables at TerraNova aims to help riders reach their equestrian goals through an understanding of the basics in balance and communication between horse and rider. The Stables at TerraNova’s training staff is experienced across all three phases of eventing through the 2*/3* level. Training staff includes: Brad Hall, Hannah Herrig Ketelboeter, and Zach Ketelboeter. Brad Hall is a highly sought after clinician and Level 3 ICP certified eventing instructor with experience up to the Intermediate/3* level. Brad is an experienced and accomplished trainer and clinician with clientele throughout the country. He has been working with Hannah and Zach for a combined total of 20+ years. Hannah Herrig Ketelboeter is a 2* level eventer with experience in dressage through 3rd level and jumpers through 1.20m. In addition to Brad Hall, she has worked with several ICP trainers and 5* riders. She has placed in the top 5 at the American Eventing Championships multiple times on different horses, as well as competed on three different horses through the preliminary level. Zach Ketelboeter is a 3* level eventer with additional experience in jumpers through 1.20m. Zach specializes in starting and producing horses through the levels. He started his current 3* horse as a 3 year old, as well as others that have gone on to compete at the preliminary level. His most recent accomplishment is a first-place finish at Red Hills International Horse Trials.

The Stables at TerraNova also offers a selection of horses for sale with various levels of experience. Staff can also help horse buyers with searching for their perfect equine partner.

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TerraNova Equestrian Estates The Herrig and Ketelboeter family plan to complement TerraNova Equestrian Center with TerraNova Equestrian Estates, a 1,300-acre amenity-rich real estate development planned with multiacre lots. TerraNova Estates offers 182 unique properties on lot sizes from 5 acres to multi-acre parcels, and provides an exceptional quality of life for those who want to live in prime horse country. Amenities at TerraNova Estates include: ▶▶ Clubhouse with fitness center and resort-style pool ▶▶ 24-hour gated community ▶▶ Riding trails ▶▶ 5-acre to multi-acre parcels ▶▶ Impressive water cascade and life-size horse sculpture

▶▶ 20 minutes to downtown Lakewood Ranch and everything it has to offer ▶▶ Homeowners association and covenants to preserve buyers’ investment ▶▶ Streetlights on winding roads

▶▶ Underground electric plus fiber optic cabling for highspeed internet ▶▶ Easy highway access to I-75 and the Sarasota International Airport, shopping, dining and cultural activities/venues

The Herrig & Ketelboeter Family TerraNova Equestrian Center is the vision of equestrians Hannah Herrig Ketelboeter, her husband Zach Ketelboeter, and the Herrig family. The family has been designing and working on developing the facility for the last five years. Originally, the idea of TerraNova began as a small eventing training barn and eventually expanded to the Stables at TerraNova, TerraNova Equestrian Center, and TerraNova Equestrian Estates. TerraNova is operated by Hannah and Zach Ketelboeter. It is clear from the

level of detail and creativity put into the facility that TerraNova is far more than just a business. It is a passion project.

Surprisingly, the Herrig family have not always been horse people. The family caught the horse bug from their daughter Hannah. When asked how her family got into horses, Hannah explains, “Since I was able to talk, I constantly asked my parents for a horse. It wasn’t until I was ten that they finally agreed to get me a horse. When my parents were on vacation and staying at a bed and breakfast in Illinois, they saw that there was a horse barn close by. They visited the barn and met Brad, who I train with today, and purchased my first horse, Skip.”

Upcoming Events at TerraNova Equestrian Center January 26-30, 2022, TerraNova Equestrian Center will be hosting the team at Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT). Split Rock Jumping Tour is an equestrian management group that organizes and facilitates international show jumping competitions throughout North America. During the event, spectators can expect to see a world-class show jumping competition at TerraNova Equestrian Center, and competitors can take advantage of the amenities that Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, and Sarasota have to offer.

TerraNova Spring is a three-week hunter/ jumper competition that will take place March 16-20, 23-27 and March 30-April 3. The public is welcome during TerraNova Spring for competition Wednesday through Sunday. The feature event each Saturday afternoon is an exciting $50,000 Grand Prix offering a VIP brunch and general admission. Learn more at terranovaequestrian.com

Information Additional information about TerraNova Equestrian Center and its upcoming events are available on the website terranovaequestrian.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: GIANA TERRANOVA PHOTOGRAPHY

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Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Game Day

By Abby Weingarten and Paige Lautzenheiser

I

’m enjoying my morning snooze when, all of a sudden, I’m awakened by a whistle. My friends and I look toward the barn. Is it that time of day already?

It can’t be…

But it is! Our human emerges from the darkness and calls us over. My friends race over, eager to eat. I, on the other hand, slowly get up and stretch before wandering toward the gate. I know what today is. Today is game day.

By the time I mosey to the gate, my human has brought in most of my pasture mates. They’re already in their stalls, munching on their breakfast. My stomach grumbles.

I whinny at her as she comes to grab the play. After that, she packs the equipment required for my rider. last of us, hoping she’ll walk faster.

As she slips my halter on, I bump her She also loads the team tent and jerseys. From the looks of things, we’re wearing green today! gently to tell her “good morning.” She Once she has finished packing, my human inspects each of us, pats my forehead in return. I can’t help but sigh with happiness. She chuckles making sure we didn’t injure ourselves or lose a shoe overnight.

After passing inspection, she starts grooming us. She sighs when and then leads us to our stalls.

Once my friends and I are settled, she gets to me, as I’m covered in dirt. But I can’t help myself! There’s no better way to scratch that itch than to roll in the dirt! happily munching on our breakfast, my human starts packing the trailer. I To get me clean, my human rubs my body with a curry comb.

When she gets to my back, I lean into that back scratch. She laughs watch with interest as I eat. She starts by loading the riding equipment, like as my lip curls in happiness. saddles and bridles. I see my bridle get Once we’re all groomed, it’s time to head to the field! She loads us in the trailer and jumps in the driver’s seat. Off we go! packed—a sure sign I’m playing today.

But I don’t mind. I love the challenge and When we arrive at the polo field, our human parks next to a excitement of a polo match. trailer that is already at the field and I see my friend! We grew up Next, she loads our boots and bandages, together, but got separated when we were sold to different owners. which protect our legs from impact during Luckily, we still see each other occasionally. I whinny at him. He says hello in return. Maybe we’ll play the same chukker today!

One by one, we’re unloaded and tied to the side of the trailer. We luckily have shade to keep us cool. I consider us polo ponies to be very well-behaved because we stand for hours on end without putting up much of a fuss. As long as we have shade, water and friends, we’re happy!

Oh, and don’t forget fly spray. Our human always makes sure we are covered to ensure flies don’t bug us (no pun intended).

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Next, she bandages our legs and puts boots on our front legs for added protection. Then, she ties up our tails so they don’t get in the way during the match.

As she starts to tack me up, music starts playing. I feel the change in atmosphere and start to get anxious. I just want to do my best for my rider. My human senses my anxiety. She pats my neck to reassure me. Because she’s calm, I relax. I trust her so, if she isn’t worried, I won’t worry.

She continues tacking me up, placing the bridle on my face. I munch happily on my bit while she makes her final adjustments. My rider walks over, pats my forehead and asks if I’m ready. I shake my head in excitement as he hops aboard.

As we head to the field to warm up, I see my friend coming our way. We get to play together! Our riders exchange hellos and we walk to the field together. My rider and I proceed to warm up together. He taps the ball around while I canter around and stretch my legs.

A few minutes later, a whistle blows. It’s time for the opening parade! This is a scary time for some polo ponies. The Sarasota Polo Club crowd is large and loud. But that doesn’t frighten me; it energizes me.

The music starts and we canter onto the field as a team. My rider brings me close to the boards so he can clap hands with the fans.

We ride around the field before heading toward the center for the national anthem. I struggle to stand still, eager to start playing.

We finally line up for the bowl-in and, before we know it, we’re off! Our teammate takes possession of the ball and takes it towards the goal. He almost makes it but the ball bounces and gets caught underneath his horse, out of reach. Unfortunately, the other team gets possession and starts toward their goal.

I turn quickly and accelerate to catch up. My rider pushes me faster, trying to hook the opponent’s mallet. I dig deeper for him. He manages the hook just before the opponent scores!

Our teammate takes the ball, so I follow behind and, when he loses possession, my rider is quick to take the ball and carry it further down the field.

An opponent rides up alongside and tries to bump my rider off the play with his horse, who happens to be my friend.

But right now, we’re opponents. I mustn’t let him win.

sar asota polo

I lean into him and refuse to let him succeed. My rider takes the ball on my left side, where it’s more protected from the opponent and sends it forward to another teammate who taps twice and SCORES! We put our first goal on the board, and I am a part of making it happen!

We head to midfield for another bowl-in. We keep going back and forth for a few minutes, but no goals are made. The teams are pretty evenly matched in talent. With three minutes left in the chukker, the ball goes out of bounds. My rider brings it in. Tap. Tap. Tap. He canters me slowly, easily controlling the ball. Then he sends the ball down the field! I leap to a gallop and manage to be the first to the ball. But an opponent closes in. We must make a move quickly.

My rider taps once, then takes a shot at goal. It almost goes wide but bounces off the goalposts and INTO THE GOAL. We did it!

We put another goal on the board. This time, the goal was ours!

My rider pats my neck in excitement and, sensing me tiring, decides to change horses. My rider does the swap without getting off - a dangerous maneuver, but luckily we are well-behaved and stand quietly for the exchange. He then races back onto the field with his new mount while I walk to the trailer. I’m breathing heavily and tired, but pleased with today’s effort.

Back at the trailer, I am stripped of my equipment and my tail is untied. I receive a cool, refreshing bath and then am tied back to the trailer to cool off. I decide to snooze, and barely even notice as my friends come and go.

Before I know it, the game is over. Our human loads us into the trailer and we head home. As soon as I get to my stall, I roll. Oh how good that feels! I then check my feeder to see if I have food, as I’m hungry! To my delight, there is! I happily munch away.

When we have finished our dinner, we are led to our respective pastures for the evening. As soon as I’m free, I gallop to my dirt pile for another roll. I can hear my human sigh, knowing she has more grooming ahead. But she doesn’t mind. She knows I’m happy.

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5

Tips on Buying a Horse

By Kimbrell J. Hines, Esq.

For most horse people, few things are as exciting as purchasing a horse. Unfortunately for some, buying a horse can be a difficult experience– emotions cloud buyer’s judgment, sellers misrepresent, and your new horse may feel more like an adversary than a partner. To avoid a bad purchase, buyers should keep in mind the following:

1

Use a Contract: Even if not required in your state, it is always a good idea to have a written sales contract signed by both parties stating the rights and duties of the buyer and seller. The contract allows the parties to have a written record of the horse that was agreed upon.

Get a Pre-Purchase Veterinary Exam: Always get a pre-purchase veterinary exam performed by your vet. It is also a good idea to drug test the horse during the pre-purchase.

Verify: Confirm the horse’s registration number and show record with the applicable breed association or equine organization.

Obtain a Second Opinion: Buying a horse is incredibly exciting. Try to take an experienced horse professional with you when looking at a horse. An objective horse professional will be able to tell you if the horse you’re looking at is a good fit.

Take a Break: After looking at a horse, try to go look at other horses or take a short break from shopping altogether to give yourself time to reflect on whether a particular horse is right for you. If the seller consents, videotape the horse and watch the video a few days after you visited the horse. Doing so will allow you to look at the horse again without time constraints or pressure from the seller.

2 3 4 5

Kimbrell J. Hines is an active equestrian and an attorney with Williams Parker in Sarasota, Florida. She obtained both her law degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, where she competed for the University of Florida Equestrian Team.

She also has a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from the University of Tennessee. Kimbrell may be reached at khines@williamsparker.com or (941) 366-4800. *This article is provided as a guide for educational purposes only.

It is not intended to serve as legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with an attorney.

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Bring home the favorite

Arena League Flourishes in Its First Year Back in Action

By Abby Weingarten

L

ast year, after much dormancy, the Arena League at the Sarasota Polo Club was enthusiastically reanimated. This winter, the players and coaches are more primed than ever to kick off a stellar Sarasota Polo Club arena season.

“For those who might not know, the Arena League is really the beginning of polo playing for folks at the [Sarasota Polo] Club, especially those who don’t have a lot of experience in the saddle,” says Scott Lancaster, the coach of the Sarasota Polo Club Arena League. “It’s a controlled environment, and playing in the arena is a lot less intimidating than playing on a 10-acre polo field.”

Being coached the entire way by professional, experienced sar asota polo

and certified instructors in a safe and encouraging environment is key to the eventual success of any polo player.

Lancaster has been teaching polo for more than 30 years and loves the coaching aspect of the Sarasota Polo Club Arena League concept. He is a United States Polo Association (USPA) Honorary Certified Polo Instructor, and has worked with players ages eight to 75—from intercollegiate champions to U.S. Open Polo Championship patrons.

“I love that the players really gain confidence and expand their comfort zone in the Arena League,” Lancaster says. The main goal for Lancaster is to be as interactive with his students as he can. “I’m usually on the ground but, occasionally, I’m a participant. I’m like the coach and the umpire,” Lancaster says. “The Arena Leagues allows us to provide real game 202 2

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situations, while also being able to stop the play and coach when someone makes a foul. This helps me prepare the students for the next step in the program.”

“The arena was built in 2006 and I started working with the [Sarasota Polo] Club in 2007.

The arena had basically been left to die, but we picked it up after years of it being dormant. Last year, participation couldn’t have been better. ” Lancaster and his players started using the enclosed rectangular arena, which measures about 65 by 40 yards, for practices three days a week. Adult Arena League was offered Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The Sarasota Polo Club also hosted a Thursday Youth Arena League program for kids under the age of 18, which drew about 15 participants ranging in ages from eight to 16 last season.

Lancaster savors the experience of watching players accomplish more than they ever anticipated in polo—with support and guidance. “We had 12 consistent players that all did incredibly well and came such a distance in such a short amount of time,” Lancaster says. “Just to see their progress puts a big smile on my face.”

One of those players was Brian Baldwin—a promising regular of Lancaster’s Arena League.

Baldwin came into polo with an athletic background, but most of his experience was in basketball, golf, spearfishing and hunting. But that didn’t stop him from adapting quickly into a capable equestrian.

“Brian got a taste of polo a few years back, and watching his progress in the Arena League has been a lot of fun,” Lancaster says. “This season, he plans

to transition to the grass and start playing in the Sunshine League.”

“The Arena League is a great way to learn the game [of polo] from scratch,” Baldwin says. “It is at a slower pace than on the field and in a confined area, so you learn the rules of the game quicker.”

Much of what makes playing in the Arena League so rewarding is Lancaster’s coaching style, Baldwin says. “Coach Scott does an excellent job of explaining the strategy of the game and rules such as ‘line of the ball’ and ‘right of way.’ He also explains fouls when they occur at the right time, so as to not hinder the flow of the game too much. I think the Arena League is a great way for someone to get into the sport.”

Lancaster couldn’t agree more. “Many people have aspirations to check out polo, and our Arena League is such a great way to do it. You’ll feel safe, have fun and get addicted to the sport of polo straight away,” Lancaster says. “People can improve so fast because they can really expand outside of their comfort zones.”

The 2022 Season of Sarasota Polo’s Arena League kicks off on December 4th, 2021 and will run every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday through April 16th, 2022. For more information on the Sarasota Polo Club Arena League, other polo education programs, or to schedule a lesson, call or text (941) 907-0000 or visit sarasotapolo.com/learn-to-play-polo.

LEARN TO PLAY POLO

The Arena League is only one facet of the Sarasota Polo Club’s extensive polo lesson program, which allows players of varying levels to get their feet wet and progress further into the sport of polo. The education process begins with private lessons in the arena, which evolve into private lessons on the grass. Once ready, players graduate into group lessons and then begin playing chukkers in the arena through the Arena League. Eventually, players make the move out onto the grass and start participating in chukkers in what is known as the Sunshine League.

For more information on the Sarasota Polo Club Arena League, other polo education programs, or to schedule a lesson, call or text (941) 907-0000 or visit sarasotapolo.com/learn-to-play-polo.

sar asota polo

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Confessions of

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a Polo Groom

By Caelan Beard, Reprinted with permission from horsenetwork.com

6.

On your first competition day, you will feel like a beheaded chicken.

We’ve all seen it depicted on TV at some point—gorgeous horses galloping madly after A player will use four to eight horses a tiny white ball, players swinging cane mallets, while spectators clad in beautiful suits in each game, and you’ll only have two or and elegant dresses sip champagne on the sidelines. three sets of tack. Which means that every What the movies don’t show is the polo groom, scrambling behind the scenes to three to seven minutes, you have to untack have horses ready for the game. Covered in filth, sweat, horse hair, and probably blood, one horse, bathe them, and put their tack the polo groom has to be able to get a new horse ready—tacked, legs wrapped, and tail on the next horse.

Oh, and they also all need their legs braided—every three minutes of each game.

Is it madness? Absolutely. wrapped, their tails braided and folded up, you can’t find a rolled bandage to save your life, the horse that’s just come off the game has untied themselves and Here’s what I discovered during a season as a polo groom: is making a beeline back to the barn, and in the last thirty seconds, The first thing you’ll learn is how to ride sets. you’ve managed to lose an entire bridle that you need right now.

Polo grooms typically exercise horses in “sets” of three to But somehow… five horses at a time. You have to learn how to ride one horse while leading up to four others—at a walk, trot, and canter.

Everything will be okay.

Yes, this is as terrifying as it sounds.

I’m not even sure how, but everything ends up in the Especially when the horse you’re riding is having a mare day right place at the right time. And just as you’re on the verge of and wants to kick everyone in sight while the horse on your left is hyperventilating, your rider will run over, hop on the horse trying to charge forward because they’re an ex-racehorse, and one you’ve just got ready in what felt like ten panic-filled seconds, and on your far right is trying to dislocate your shoulder by slamming say, “Great job, thanks!” before galloping off. on the brakes because she’s a lazy little you-know-what and It will be a lot of work for a short playing time. doesn’t much feel like running today, thanks.

You will spend months carefully training and conditioning so that a horse can play a couple minutes of a game.

Eventually, riding sets will become the most boring It’s a crazy amount of effort for such a short pay off… But then part of your day. again, that’s most horse sports.

Once the terror fades, the monotony will set in. Polo horses They’re not all snobs. are typically exercised on a track, so you’ll spend two to three Contrary to what we see on the screen, polo people aren’t hours of each day riding in really big circles. You can always tell all completely stuck-up. Most are kind, and they genuinely love the experienced grooms because they’ll be riding while listening to music. Or, if they’re particularly capable, they’ll be riding sets both the sport and the horses they ride. You will meet a couple of while watching Netflix on their phones. jerks. But hey, that’s life.

You will become a better rider.

It’s all about the horses.

Handling multiple horses at speed will do wonders for Polo players love their horses, and the polo ponies are your biceps. Dragging horses around the track will likewise give subsequently some of the most pampered horses you’ll ever meet. you a really, really grounded seat.

They are also exceptionally well trained, athletic, and completely You will become a worse rider. beautiful creatures. In the end, just working with the horses will All that pulling can also put serious strain on your body. make the job worth it.

You’ll have to work hard not to end up riding hunched over, or Plus, they can go really, really fast… and as a friend of mine with shoulders pointing in two different directions. says, life is too short to ride slow horses.

Polo involves a whole new set of vocabulary.

Each game has four periods, known as “chukkers.” All polo About the author players are ranked from -2 to 10, and the playing level of the team Caelan Beard is a travel writer and horse enthusiast based out of Toronto, Ontario. comes from the four players’ cumulative rankings. Games are then She recently completed her third summer working as a trail guide in Jasper referred to by that sum: an 8-goal match, 20-goal, and so on.

National Park, Alberta, where she spent her days leading people on horse rides Sound confusing? It is. Ask lots of questions and eventually, it through the Rocky Mountains. Check out her blog, The Wandering Years. may even make sense.

Polo: the sport of kings.

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The Ins & Outs of

Groom Life

By Abby Weingarten

Working behind the scenes 365 days a year, grooms are the often-unsung heroes and heroines of the polo industry.

It is arduous, exhausting work that necessitates patience and packed schedules in order to get the polo ponies at the Sarasota Polo Club ready for the playing field—feeding them, caring for them, training & exercising them, and maintaining the stable.

From sunup to sundown, there is a slew of unglamorous tasks that need to be done. A groom’s morning usually begins around 5 or 6 a.m. and oftentimes continues for 12 hours or more. Grooms clean nonstop— the tack, the stalls and the horses—as well as handle everything else that working in a barn involves.

And, while the word groom dates back to 1667 and means “a man servant who attends to horses”, modern grooms are oftentimes female. The demand for these talented professionals is always high, considering that all areas of the sar asota polo

horse industry employ grooms to assist with basic equine management.

Grooms can find positions at riding schools, Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing facilities, competition facilities, boarding and breeding farms, polo clubs, and even veterinary clinics. Some grooms may even choose to specialize in working with certain types of equines, like young horses (foals or yearlings) or mature stallions.

To be a polo groom, it is not required to have a background in polo, however it does help, as some employers may ask their grooms to short work or stick and ball their horses to keep them fine-tuned for game day.

Grooms are professionals with an unshakable work ethic who adore the time that they spend with their animals. They truly do what they do for the love of the horses. Just ask Bethany Glaser, Joi Rodriguez, and Emily Barry.

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Bethany Glaser “I’ve been a groom for a little over nine years now, but I first started grooming on the Thoroughbred racetrack in Kentucky. I switched over to polo in the summer of 2016. I have been drawn to working with horses from an early age and have always wanted to center my life around them. Horses have been my rock through the many ups and downs in my life.

I currently work for the Schott family. They are based out of Versailles, Kentucky but come to Sarasota for the winter polo season. Our string of polo ponies consists of the main playing ponies, the young polo ponies in training, and then a few retired polo ponies. My favorite ponies are Maggie and Pound Cake— both chestnut mares with a little spice but a lot of nice. We also have two geldings that I adore, named Button and Chief.

A typical day for me starts at 7:30 a.m. when I bring all of the ponies in from the field. Breakfast is served in the barn and, from there, the ponies are exercised either by taking them on a set or taking them to the Sarasota Polo Club for practice chukkers. The young, inexperienced ponies typically get worked at the farm as a single, but sometimes we will bring them to the Sarasota Polo Club for practice chukkers to work on their polo education in a more realistic setting.

I also have my own horse and I make time each day to ride and care for him, typically in the afternoons. Around 4:30 p.m., I give the ponies their dinner. If the weather is chilly, they all get

Hometown:

Versailles, Kentucky

Grooming Experience:

6 Years

blanketed and then turned out for the night. After the ponies are put to bed, the barn gets a thorough cleaning, and morning meals as well as the trailer are prepared for the next morning.

The most rewarding part of the job is watching the horses play well and enjoy their job. It’s also the little moments where the horses say ‘thanks.’

The most challenging part of the job is finding time to enjoy my hobby of barrel racing. It is also difficult being away from my family and friends as much as I am.”

Joi Rodriguez

Hometown:

Norman, Oklahoma

“After high school, I attended a college equine program in Kentucky, where I studied animal science, agricultural science and stable management. After I finished school, I went to California to groom at Eldorado Polo Club for five years. Then, I spent the next seven years spending the summers in Colorado and the winters in Florida. I then transitioned to training my own horses.

I did have an unfortunate incident a few years ago, but the ones who know me understand my limitations now.

Today, I own a 112-acre farm and teach lots of wonderful students how to ride and/or jump in the summer, and then I come to Florida for a few months in the winter. I still train my own horses, but I also spend the majority of my time doing catch work for polo players. Whether it’s helping groom at a practice or at a game, I am always willing to help anyone in any way that I can.

The most rewarding aspect of being a groom is watching my training horses excel in their jobs, and seeing my students learn to ride and having fun while doing it.”

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Grooming Experience:

35 Years

Emily Barry

Hometown:

Derrinallum, Victoria, New South Wales

“I was born and raised in Australia, where my mom worked as a horse trainer for a large polo operation in regional Victoria - called Mount Elephant Station, owned by Anthony and Sybil Baillieu.

Pretty much the day I graduated from high school, I jumped in the rig and headed to Ellerston with 14 horses to groom for Ruki Baillieu for the summer in Scone, New South Wales. From there, I’ve been fortunate to have worked all over, including the United States. In 2013, I was offered a job with Dr. Paul Wollenman at Palm Beach Equine in West Palm Beach, Florida.

I currently manage my husband Joe Wayne Barry’s operation. I also manage Kendall Plank and Carol Farnsworth’s polo operations from our farm outside of Houston, Texas in the spring and fall seasons. We have between 28 and 30 horses in work in Houston, and around 12 horses in work for the summer season in Michigan as well as for the winter season here in Sarasota, Florida. I do still get down and dirty, but I’m more in charge of administration, diet, medical care and workout plans for the horses now.

Daily polo schedules for our horses change frequently, depending on whether it is game day or not. There is feeding, grooming and exercising the horses to be completed, and then other things like clipping to get taken care of when needed. While we feed the horses lunch, we often ice legs or do other injury prevention therapies. Our horses are elite athletes and keeping them fit, sound and happy is really what the grooming job is all about. There really is not much down time when it comes to properly taking care of polo ponies.

The most rewarding part of the job is taking a troubled horse that has maybe been rushed a little too quickly into polo or had a rough start to the sport, and helping them reach their full potential. I love getting to know each horse individually. Often all trouled horses need to succeed is a cleaner or more specific diet plan, a less stressful workload and a little love. I think allowing a horse to be a horse as often as possible is a very undervalued thing.

The most challenging part of this profession is driving across the country with a toddler, two dogs and two trailer loads full of horses every two to four months.”

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Grooming Experience:

20 Years

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The Queens of the “Sport of Kings”

By Abby Weingarten

Waylaid by the pandemic, global women’s polo matches hit a bit of a snag at the height of their popularity. But that is changing now.

The queens among the “sport of kings” are back better than ever and ready to reign.

They will take the field for the 2022 Sarasota Women’s Challenge, which will run March 31st through April 3rd. The week will be dedicated entirely to women’s polo. Women from across the country will descend on Sarasota to participate in this tournament.

“Women’s polo is the fastest-growing demographic for the sport of polo, and we here at the Sarasota Polo Club are thrilled to be able to provide a platform for the women players to compete and showcase their talents,” says Mason Wroe, the Director of Polo at the Sarasota Polo Club.

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2021 Sarasota Women’s Challenge Participants:

A Flight:

During the tournament, four different levels (or flights) of play will be offered to accommodate all skill levels. The A Flight (14-16 Goal) will play on Friday and Sunday, and will be the feature match for Sunday Polo on April 3rd, 2022. The B Flight (8-10 Goal) will play Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning. The C Flight (0-4 Goal) will play Friday and Sunday morning. And a beginner D Flight will be offered on Saturday.

Wroe looks forward to introducing the many female spectators at the Sarasota Polo Club to these fantastic female athletes.

“Having two young daughters, it is special to me to think that they and many other young girls can look out on that field on April 3rd and see multiple women competing against one another—knowing that they too might have the opportunity to one day be in the same position, showing off their talents on the big stage,” Wroe says.

One of those role models showing off her talent on April 3rd will be Dawn Jones, the wife of actor Tommy Lee Jones, who has been a major influence in the worldwide women’s polo movement. In 2019, the Sarasota Polo Club partnered with the Women’s

International Polo Network (WIPN) to present the first-ever Sarasota Women’s Challenge, which has been hosted every year since its inauguration.

In 2018, Dawn Jones helped establish the WIPN—a nonprofit organization designed to “enhance women’s polo around the world” by building an online community of player profiles (like LinkedIn) and a calendar of women’s tournaments. Dawn Jones says that, before the WIPN was established, women polo players did not have a definitive source where all players could come together and compete.

The WIPN evolved quickly, but much of this forward movement unfortunately was slowed due to the COVID-19 outbreak back in 2020.

“The pandemic really put the brakes on women’s polo,” Dawn Jones says. “The great players are still out there but, in terms of women’s polo, we’ve definitely had a disruption. Still, we’re very grateful that Sarasota is going to host the [Sarasota Women’s Challenge] again in 2022. I’ve been meeting so many women who are eager to get into some kind of competition, and I’m so impressed with the number of women entering the sport of polo.” sar asota polo

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Isabelle Parsons (8) Hope Arellano (7) Dawn Jones (6) Madelyn Grant (5) Sophie Grant (4) Alyson Poor (4) Megan Shader Jumet (4) Olivia Uechtritz (3) Holly Chamberlain (2) Margaux Buchanon (1) Zoe Cookson (1) Ashlie Osburg (1)

B Flight:

Belinda Brody (4) Alyson Poor (4) Kerstie Allen (3) Katherine Mitcham (3) Lauren Bilsky (2) Malicia Von Falkenhausen (2) Lauren Proctor-Brown (1) Camille Ricaud (1)

C

Flight: Kerstie Allen (3) Laura Willson (3) Samantha Leach (2) Claire Dornak (1) Lauren Proctor-Brown (1) Camille Ricaud (1) Elizabeth Brassart (0) Hanna Hornung (0) Kaitlyn Hornung (0) Sarah Morelli (0) Tory Seiglaff (0) Katerina Teroerde (0)

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For 92 years, The Players Centre for Performing Arts has served as the region’s creative anchor and community theatre. Each stakeholder who believes in our mission has played a vital role in our theatre’s history, from children to college students, professional performers The Players Centre Logo Design to patrons countless who live across TPC-21002 / Colorand Revisions - June 28, volunteers 2021 Grapevine Communications Advertising Agency Florida’s Cultural -Coast.

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2022 PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

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We Salute Our Players It is through the players’ dedication and commitment to the sport of polo that the Sarasota Polo Club is able to provide residents of the Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota communities with the most exhilarating equestrian sport played today.

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5 GOALS

5 GOALS

Santa Barbara, CA

Argentina

Costi Caset

Toto Collardin

4 GOALS

4 GOALS

South Africa

Ocala, FL

Stuart Campbell

4 GOALS

5 GOALS

4 GOALS

Mauk, GA

Wellington, FL

Alan Martinez

4 GOALS

Guillermo Agüero

4 GOALS

Nick Johnson

Marcos Onetto

Hernan Tasso

3 GOALS

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Marion, TX

Argentina

Farmington, CT

Open Door, Argentina

Mason Wroe

Agustin Arellano

Joe Wayne Barry

3 GOALS

3 GOALS

3 GOALS

2 GOALS

Wellington, FL

Pila, Argentina

Lexington, KY

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cat Spring, TX

Trevor Niznik-Reeves

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Charly Quincoces

2 GOALS

2 GOALS

Lexington, KY

Dallas, TX

James Miller

Vaughn Miller, Jr.

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Herndon Radcliff

2 GOALS

Neil Osburg

Winchester, KY

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Francisco Llosa

Leandro Berrios

2 GOALS

Buck Schott

Versailles, KY

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1 GOAL

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Louisville, KY

Carmen de Patagones, Argentina

China, Michigan

St. Petersburg, FL

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William Boland

1 GOAL

Roper Morrow Abilene, TX

0.5 GOALS

Martin Eddy

Hunter Jelsch

1 GOAL

0.5 GOALS

Crowell, TX

Newport, R.I.

Tommy Polk

Grant Mayer

0.5 GOALS

Raymond Guest

0.5 GOALS

0.5 GOALS

0.5 GOALS

Charlottesville, VA

Winchester, KY

Wichita, KS

Tucker Reback

0 GOALS

0 GOALS

Lakewood Ranch, FL

Tallahasee, FL

Linda Allard

Sioux Falls, SD

Samuel Clemens

Mark Mulligan

Frenchtown, NJ

Tallahassee, FL

Anneke Beck

sar asota polo

Slade Sharpsteen

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Margaux Buchanon Bradenton, FL

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Cash Shelton

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Ian Campbell Sarasota, FL

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Island $349,000 SOLD! Gorgeous .64 Acres& Updated with 156'2 Frontage on Thru-out, Beautiful Turnkey Furnished BR, 2 BA, Tile Lake, 4 BR, BA, Great Room, Saltwater Pool Granite, SS 3Appliances, CarportFireplace, & Elevators.

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Gorgeous Stoneybrook at Venice HomeSOLD! $329,900 Tastefully Decorated, View Beautifully Designed 23BR, BR,22BA, BA,Partial Den &Water Florida Room. fromCeilings, Lanai, Laminate & TileFloors Floors,&Carport, Elevators, Tray Tile & Wood LG SS Appliances.

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0 GOALS

0 GOAL

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Sarasota, FL

Sarasota, FL

Tandil, Agentina

Pippa Campbell

Holly Chamberlain

Scott Doyle

0 GOALS

0 GOALS

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Quebec, Canada

Lakewood Ranch, FL

Louisville, KY

0 GOALS

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Wichita, KS

Lakewood Ranch, FL

Wichita, KS

Jocelyne L. Groulx

Teresa Mull

Brent Hamill

Larry Robinson

0 GOAL

0 GOALS

Lakewood Ranch, FL

England

Raj Singh

Roger Stainton

Dan Lanham

Amanda Shelton

0 GOALS

Don Stemaly Dallas, TX

-0.5 GOALS

-0.5 GOALS

-0.5 GOALS

Tallahasee, FL

Tallahasee, FL

Kelly Beck

Mike Beck

sar asota polo

0 GOALS

Ramon Collardin

Brent Boland Louisville, KY

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Siesta Key, FL

Raymond Mayer Vail, CO

0 GOALS

Jack Shepley

Mechanicsburg, PA

0 GOAL

Denny Woodruff

Lakewood Ranch, FL

-0.5 GOALS

Michael Bucklin Avondale, PA

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-1 GOAL

Nantes, France

Louisville, KY

Lexington, KY

Tallahasee, FL

-1 GOAL

-1 GOAL

Dallas, TX

Lakewood Ranch, FL

Wadi Gomero-Cure

Vincent Ricaud

Claire Dornak

-1 GOAL

Kaitlyn Hornung

Lakewood Ranch, FL

-1 GOAL

David Meunier France

Trey Zoeller

Oswego, IL

Dana Aschinger

-1 GOAL

Mary Pat Guest

Arthur Hiscox

-1 GOAL

-1 GOAL

Westchester, New York

New Hope, PA

Mary Howard

Sarasota, FL

Nantes, France

Jillian Beck

-1 GOAL

Hanna Hornung

Lakewood Ranch, FL

-1 GOAL

Barclay Knapp

Sylvia McNichol

-1 GOAL

-1 GOAL

-1 GOAL

Sarasota, FL

Bradenton, FL

JT Taylor

Jim Moss

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Lakewood Ranch, FL

Tammy Wyman Sarasota, FL

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Meet the Staff Mason Wroe Director of Polo Mason joined the club as Director of Polo in 2019, to cultivate and grow the sport both on and off the field. Mason enjoys bringing fun, competitive polo to the Sarasota Polo Club and Lakewood Ranch communities.

Paige Lautzenheiser Director of Operations Paige joined the Sarasota Polo Club staff in 2018, and was promoted to Director of Operations in 2019. You can find her running around on Sundays, but don’t be afraid to stop her and introduce yourself!

Ron Trytek Director of Sales & Marketing A Chicago native, Ron grew up riding racehorses on a thoroughbred farm in Barrington Hills, Ill. He has spent much of his career working at Ritz-Carlton hotels throughout the world.

Ron joined our team in 2018. He is passionate about promoting the Sarasota Polo Club.

THE FIELD CREW Jason (Poncho) Davis

Nicholas Chavez

Jason joined the Sarasota Polo Club Field Staff in 2018. Poncho, as most people call him, is often found flagging the game on Sundays ...barefoot!

Nick joined the Sarasota Polo Club Field Staff in 2012, and has been an integral part of the crew since then. On Sundays, you can likely find him in the end zone, flagging the polo match!

Bryan Zdancewicz Director of Maintenance Bryan, an Air Force Veteran, joined the crew in 2018, and was promoted to Director of Maintenance in 2019. He is passionate about his work and eager to solve all kinds of challenges.

sar asota polo

Zac Fuesser Director of Turf & Irrigation Zac joined the club in 2018 and was promoted to Director of Turf and Irrigation in 2020. He works hard to make sure the fields are in tip top shape for our players and their equine partners.

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@USPOLOASSN

The Wonders of

Cryotherapy Sarasota Polo Club partner CryoXL introduces a cutting-edge form of recovery By Daniel Paulling sar asota polo

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J

ames P. Uihlein used to wake up the morning after a polo match or lengthy training session with sore legs caused by the strain of riding. He would then spend hours stretching and moving around to alleviate the pain before getting back on a horse and repeating the cycle.

But after he began incorporating cryotherapy and compression boot sessions from CryoXL into his recovery regimen last season, Uihlein noticed an immediate difference. He would go to bed after a match or practice and wake up the next morning feeling great. He no longer felt sore or the need to take ice baths.

“It’s made playing more enjoyable for me because I’m not always as sore as I used to be,” Uihlein said.

“It really improved my own feeling of well-being, and that translates directly back to wanting to jump on the horse. If you feel good, you’re going to play better.”

That’s exactly the feedback CryoXL founder Fernando Vega loves to hear -- and routinely does -- from his clients.

During the polo season, a large number of the teams and players that compete at the Sarasota Polo Club visit CryoXL several times per week.

Not only do they visit after matches; some also visit after practices, as the typical player spends roughly two to three hours per day in the saddle.

Vega estimates roughly 40 percent of his clients are adults like Uihlein pursuing athletic endeavors and roughly 60 percent are high school, collegiate, or professional athletes. He works with top athletes, which include players from the NFL, players from MLB’s Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates, performers from Sarasota Ballet and American Ballet Theatre members, Monster Jam driver Brianna Mahon, and even some very famous celebrities.

These clients seek out CryoXL — which has locations in both Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota — for help recovering from an intense workout or competition, or even from an injury.

During cryotherapy sessions at CryoXL, a client steps into a chamber that is filled with chilled nitrogen gas. Almost the entire body is inside the chamber, as only the client’s head is outside of the chamber.

For clients undergoing their first session -- which lasts just two minutes -- the gas is “just” -50 degrees (yes, that is minus 50 degrees).

Clients who have undergone several sessions will be in the chamber for up to three minutes at an even colder temperature.

The cold temperature reduces blood flow, which can lead to a decrease in inflammation and swelling that causes pain, particularly around joints and tendons. Cryotherapy is replacing the ice bath, which was popularized by athletes of yesteryear who would climb into a tub filled with ice. With cryotherapy, the results are delivered more quickly and are much less painful.

“We work with orthopedic surgeons in town,” Vega said. “They send us their patients who are going to go through physical therapy, and they want the patient to get our alternative therapy done to reduce the inflammation. Cryotherapy speeds up the healing process.”

In addition to its full-body cryotherapy, a treatment that has also

been shown to help alleviate pain caused by arthritis, Vega’s company can provide localized cryotherapy, which targets a specific area on a client’s body such as a shoulder or an elbow. CryoXL also offers compression boot sessions, IV therapy which provides additional hydration, and body sculpting, which helps slim and tone your figure.

“We have basically everything that an NFL player has at their disposal in their athletic training rooms,” Vega said.

Uihlein goes to CryoXL four times a week and routinely sees other Sarasota Polo Club members. His cryotherapy sessions take just a few minutes, and his compression boot sessions another 15. He is in and out in about 20 minutes.

“It doesn’t take too long, and you’ll feel great,” Uihlein said. “It beats an ice bath.”

He has felt an enormous difference over the past year. Gone are the sluggish mornings struggling to recover following a match or a practice. Now, he is refreshed and ready to get back on his horses to play the sport that he loves.

“I definitely recommend it to all the [polo] players here [at the Sarasota Polo Club] and really to anyone that’s out being active,” Uihlein said. “I tell people about it when the opportunity presents itself. Whether you’re going to the gym or whether you’re a tennis player or you play golf, it just makes you feel a lot better. If you feel good, if you feel limber, you’re going to play tennis better, you’re going to play golf better, you’re going to do any sport better.”

All of these cutting edge offerings will become more accessible to Sarasota Polo Club members following the club’s partnership with CryoXL. As part of the partnership, Vega plans to bring his equipment to Sunday Polo matches this season to help players recover more quickly and easily.

And he is very happy to do so.

“Working with the athletes on an everyday basis is what we love,” Vega said.

“So that’s why working with the Sarasota Polo Club is so special. It’s an honor to be chosen to be their recovery center.”

To learn more about CryoXL or to schedule a consultation,

visit CryoXL.com or call (941) 451-CRYO (2796) 93

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Thousands of spectators congregate on the sidelines each Sunday at the Sarasota Polo Club to cheer on our players and tailgate with friends and family.

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The Sarasota Polo Season of 2021 Memories

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There’s a reason polo is called the “fastest game on four feet.” Since 1991, the Sarasota Polo Club has been providing exhilarating polo matches every Sunday through the winter. With exciting tailgate themes, halftime entertainment, tailgating, and divot stomping, the Sarasota Polo Club is the perfect place for a family outing.

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Come Join Us! We spoil our Members.

The Meadows Country Club proudly offers you the three main features you should be seeking in your Private Club: l

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Beautiful and relaxing setting that is convenient and accessible from Sarasota’s most popular residential centers, including the downtown corridor, the new University Town Center mall, and the Nathan Benderson Rowing Center.

A warm, welcoming, and active membership.

Host An Event At The Meadows Country Club

Our many venue options range in size as well as can be indoor or outdoor to accommodate smaller lunches/parties, business meetings, up to larger events and weddings seating 240 attendees. We also can tent outside for up to 500 guests.

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12-Goal

Ringling Cup WINNER

HILLCROFT FARM

James Miller, Tommy Collingwood, Herndon Radcliff, Neil Osburg

COLLINGWOOD MVP TOMMY HILLCROFT FARM

8-Goal

wayne brown Memorial WINNER

WHISKEY POND

Toto Collardin, Guillermo Aguero, Brent Hamill, Ramon Collardin

COLLARDIN MVP TOTO WHISKEY POND

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2021

WINNERS CIRCLE

8-Goal

uspa Officer’s Cup WINNER

WHISKEY POND

Toto Collardin, Guillermo Aguero, Katie Mitcham, Brent Hamill, Ramon Collardin TROPHY SPONSORED BY FESTIVALS OF SPEED

AGUERO MVP GUILLERMO WHISKEY POND

8-Goal

Gerry Aschinger Memorial WINNER

WHISKEY POND

Toto Collardin, Guillermo Aguero, Slade Sharpsteen, Brent Hamill, Ramon Collardin

COLLARDIN MVP TOTO WHISKEY POND

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2021

WINNERS CIRCLE

14-16 Goal

Sarasota Women’s Challenge WINNER

AVALON FARM

Catherine Brentzel, Sophie Grant, Hope Arellano, Alyson Poor

ARELLANO MVP HOPE AVALON FARM

10-Goal

Uspa National Inter-Circuit Championship WINNER

HILLCROFT FARM

Vaughn Miller Jr., Herndon Radcliff, Mason Wroe, James Miller

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SARASOTA POLO, RIDERS, HORSES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE GAME POLO HAS ELEGANCE AND IMAGINATION. IT EMBODIES A SOPHISTICATED LUXURY AND A TIMELESS STYLE, SHOULDN’T YOUR NEW HOME…

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WINNERS CIRCLE

10-Goal

uspa commander-inchief Cup WINNER

TITO’S

Maddie Grant, James P. Uihlein, Alan Martinez, Joe Wayne Barry

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6-Goal

uspa sportsmanship Cup WINNER

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Don Stemaly, Raymond Guest, Wes Llosa, Holly Chamberlain, Neil Osburg, Charly Quincoces

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Serving Sarasota & Manatee County, Gabrielle & Ryan are committed to delivering excellence with 38 years of combined real estate experience. Whether you are in the market to buy or sell, we offer services from A-Z including residential sales, luxury homes, farm/ranch, land, and short-term rentals/corporate rentals.

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WINNERS CIRCLE

8-Goal

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Holly Chamberlain, Dan Lanham, Charly Quincoces, Francisco Llosa

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BEST PLAYING PONIES

12-GOAL | RINGLING CUP

8-GOAL | WAYNE BROWN MEMORIAL

8-GOAL | USPA OFFICER’S CUP

8-GOAL | GERRY ASCHINGER MEMORIAL

cupe | james miller

regia | ramon collardin

sole | toto collardin

Regia | ramon collardin Curandera | Toto Collardin

14-16 GOAL | SARASOTA WOMEN’S CHALLENGE

lady | sophie grant

sar asota polo

10-GOAL | USPA NATIONAL INTER-CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIP

cheeks | mason wroe

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10-GOAL | USPA COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF CUP

phoenix | alan martinez

6-GOAL | USPA SPORTSMANSHIP CUP

Zengray | charly quincoces

8-GOAL | USPA CONSTITUTION CUP

pound cake | Buck Schott

Are You a Polo Junkie?

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO FIND OUT!

By Hélène Buckley

Do you: Arrange your calendar around the Sarasota Polo season?

Participate in the traditional ‘divot stomping’ at halftime?

Always tailgate at Sunday Polo matches?

Attend Sunset Polo Happy Hour in March and April?

Have a Sarasota Polo season tailgate membership?

Arrive to the Sarasota Polo Club before the gates open at 10AM? Bring friends, family and even strangers to watch the Sunday Polo matches with you?

Take your tailgate guests on a tour of the behind-the-scenes trailer area?

Wish you could watch polo live at the Sarasota Polo Club every day of the week?

Have your own polo gear (mallet, helmet, etc.)?

Sign up to take polo lessons with one of the Sarasota Polo Club’s certified instructors?

Have the ability to identify all of the polo players by name?

Buy items from the Sarasota Polo Club Gift Shop that you do not need?

Watch other polo matches online?

Have photos and/or autographed polo balls laying around your house?

Give directions by saying ‘offside’ and ‘nearside,’ rather than ‘right’ and ‘left’?

Give away polo balls and markers for fans to get autographed by the players after the match?

Use the names of Sarasota Polo Club players when making your dinner reservations?

Attend every Sunday Polo trophy presentation?

Drive all the way to Wellington to watch the U.S. Open Polo Championship?

Hop aboard Woody The Hitting Horse during halftime to practice your swing?

Consider joining the U.S. Polo Association (USPA)?

IF YOU ANSWERED ‘YES’ TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU ARE A POLO JUNKIE!

LUCKILY, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! THERE ARE MANY OF US. Welcome to Polo Players’ Anonymous! Admitting you have a love for polo is Step 1.

We meet every Sunday from December 19th, 2021 through April 24th, 2022 at 1PM at the Sarasota Polo Club. sar asota polo

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MAIN HEADQUARTERS 1751 Cattelmen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232 MAIN HEADQUARTERS 1751 Cattelmen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232

MAIN HEADQUARTERS: 1751 Cattlemen Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232 MAIN HEADQUARTERS: Cattlemen Sarasota, FL MAIN HEADQUARTERS: 17511751 Cattlemen Rd.,Rd,Sarasota, FL34232 34232 DOWNTOWN SARASOTA: 801 Apricot Ave, Sarasota, FL 34237 DOWNTOWN SARASOTA: Apricot Ave,Sarasota, Sarasota, FL 237 DOWNTOWN SARASOTA: 801 801 Apricot Ave., FL 34 34237

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GROUNDS MAP

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Field 6

Field 5

Field 4

Field 3

Barn B

Field 7

Barn A

Club Barns

hip Champions Field 1

Arena

Exercise Track

Barn C

124

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sar asota polo

Field 2

ASSURANCE, TAX, & ADVISORY SERVICES Two convenient office locations:

Sarasota | Bradenton

941.747.4483 MJCPA.COM

JOANNE MILLS I REALTOR ® CALL OR TEXT ME TO FIND YOUR DREAM HOME

cell 207.699.6412 I office 941.254.6467 JDMills@kw.com I JDMills.kw.com Keller Williams Island Life Real Estate, 206 Harbor Drive S., Venice, FL. 34285

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD MAP N

NW er ch ea Bl

Scoreboard

Clubhouse

North 1-44

Main Entrance

Adriondack Chairs VIP Plush Chairs

Trophy Stand

Pavilion

Gift Shop

VIP Midfield Seating

A

VIP Midfield Box

B

Patio

VIP Tent

North 45-72 North Tent

SE Ble ac he r

r he ac Ble NE

Reserved Tailgates, Pavilion, Clubhouse

General Admission

ENTRANCE

Restrooms

Gift Shop

ENTRANCE

Concessions

sar asota polo

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First Aid

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Fieldside Drive

Chukker Lane South Tent

Bring Home a

Win

Thinking of purchasing your forever home?

Wanting to do some renovations on your current house? Dreaming about a gorgeous vacation home?

There’s no need to play the field.

Score a goal by reaching out to discuss the winning possibilities with a home loan.

Christa Sweeney Loan Consultant • NMLS #470172

(941) 928-0230 cell

csweeney@loanDepot.com www.loanDepot.com/csweeney 18501 Murdock Circle, Unit 204, Port Charlotte, FL 33948 Rates, terms, and availability of programs are subject to change without notice. loanDepot.com, LLC NMLS ID 174457. Licensed by the FL Office of Financial Regulation as a Mortgage Lender Servicer MLD-903. (110421 624072)

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6311 Atrium Drive, Suite 206, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

“For one to fly, one needs only to take the reins.”

MELISSA JAMES

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ISN’T IT TIME? TO AWAKEN A CARIBBEAN JOURNEY FILLED WITH WONDER.

In 2022 and 2023, we're offering award-winning tropical getaways from 3 to 12 nights—and every option in between—visiting 29 of the Caribbean's most breathtaking destinations. Island-hop on our most revolutionary ships, including Celebrity Edge®, Celebrity Apex®, and the brand new Celebrity BeyondSM, making its Caribbean debut. Along the way, you'll enjoy everything from culinary experiences imagined by our Michelin-starred chef to Caribbean-inspired spa treatments to Private Journeys ashore designed exclusively for you. Plus, you can relax and soak up every moment knowing drinks, Wi-Fi, and tips are Always IncludedSM.* Journey safe. Journey wonderFULLSM.

CRUISE PLANNERS MARC BOKOFF marc@bookthatescape.com bookthatescape.com/srqluxurytravel 844-768-2799 NOTICE:Prior to booking, please consult all applicable U.S. Centers for Disease Control travel advisories, warnings, or recommendations relating to cruise travel, at cdc.gov/travel/notices.If a certain threshold level of COVID-19 is detected on board the ship during your voyage, the voyage will end immediately, the ship will returnto the port of embarkation, and your subsequent travel, including your return home, may be restricted or delayed. *Visit celebrity.com for complete terms and conditions. Always Included applies to sailings booked and departing on or after November 17, 2020, excluding Galapagos cruises, in inside through AquaClass® staterooms (eligible bookings). All guests in eligible bookings who choose Always Included pricing receive Classic Beverage Packages, Unlimited Surf Internet Packages, and tips included. Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination and are subject to change without notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice. ©2021 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ship’s registry: Malta and Ecuador.